


Her Blood, His Wings

by Tatsuki_Vermillion



Series: Anime [4]
Category: Hellsing
Genre: Action, Action/Adventure, Aftermath of Violence, Alucard (Hellsing) is a Troll, American - Freeform, American Reader, Author Is Sleep Deprived, Author Runs on Tea and Comments, Blood, Blood Drinking, Blood and Gore, Blood and Injury, Blood and Violence, Canon-Typical Violence, Canon: Hellsing TV Anime, Evil Author Day 2020, Explicit Language, F/M, Gun Violence, Hellsing Organization, Hellsing Ultimate OVA, It's fucking Hellsing what did you expect, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Read by the Author, Reader doesn't put up with Alucard's BS, Reader-Insert, Seras and the Reader are friends, The Author Regrets Nothing, There's a reason this anime is rated M for crying out loud, Violence, so much swearing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-22
Updated: 2020-05-01
Packaged: 2021-02-28 16:54:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 34,439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23260549
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tatsuki_Vermillion/pseuds/Tatsuki_Vermillion
Summary: Okay, you know when I said "I wish I was there"? I DIDN'T MEAN THAT LITERALLY!!! There is QUITE a difference between seeing a Ghoul through a screen and seeing one IN REAL LIFE!! COME ON MAN!! Also, will someone PLEASE tell Fangface to knock that infernal smirk off his face before I do it myself? That'd be great, thanks.
Relationships: Alucard & Integra Hellsing, Alucard & Seras Victoria, Alucard & Walter Dornez, Alucard (Hellsing)/Reader, Alucard/Reader, Integra Hellsing & Original Character (Platonic), Seras Victoria & Original Character (Platonic), Walter Dornez & Original Character (Platonic)
Series: Anime [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1221095
Comments: 6
Kudos: 83





	1. Prologue

"Oh what to watch, what to watch?" I mumbled to myself as I scrolled through My Anime List. With the whole quarantine bs well underway, I was left to do nothing but schoolwork and finding other ways to fill my time. There were only so many times I could rearrange my bookshelf and try on different outfits, so I had returned to my first entertainment love: anime.

"I could watch _Hellsing_ again I guess. Even if it is super bloody." I had just finished the series about the sexy undead king Alucard, and it would be a heinous lie to say I wasn't crushing. Hard. I typically had a major issue with bloody anime, but I made exceptions for animes with certain characters (read _Black Butler_ and _Attack on Titan_ ). "I don't know though... I still have all of these options."

A glance at the clock said it was 02:00. _'Gotta love insomnia.'_ I rolled my eyes. "I'm practically a vampire already. Just need the teeth and a serious increase in the ability to deal with blood and I'm good to go."

Grabbing my tumbler, I snuck up the stairs to the kitchen. Everyone else was asleep, lucky bastards. Sighing to myself, I filled my infuser with some Jasmine Dragon Pearls and placed the infuser into the tumbler. Once it was filled with hot water, courtesy of the instant hot water faucet, I snuck back downstairs to my room.

As soon as I opened the door, an angular head shot up from the pile of clothes in one of the corners. "Hey baby," I crooned as I petted the soft head. My German Shepherd, Titus, purred (yes he purrs; don't' ask me how or why but somehow the doofus learned how to freaking purr.) as I rubbed his ears. They had never stood up like most Shepherds, but I didn't mind. They suited his dopey personality.

A bat at my side made me laugh. My Lab, Texas, had woken up and, deciding he was jealous of the attention his brother was getting, decided to let me know about it. Setting my tumbler down, I settled onto the ground in between my dogs. Titus immediately snuggled into my side while Texas laid his head on my legs. I realized quickly I wasn't getting up anytime soon. Thankfully, the pile of clothes was relatively comfortable and my computer was within reach.

"At least I don't have to go to the bathroom, yet," I mumbled as I reached for my computer. Powering it up, I revisited the list. "Oh fuck it. Undead vampire king, here I come." As the episode started, the thought of _'Lowkey wish I was there sometimes.'_

Texas' growling is what woke me up. instinctively, I reached for my gun as sleep cleared from my mind. Titus was standing protectively over me while Texas was pressed into my side, growling and barking. That's when I realized my desk and clothes pile felt an awful like a tree and grass, and my computer was nowhere within reach.

"What the hell?!" I stood up, trying to get my bearings, but what I saw shocked me.

I wasn't in my room. I was in a forest, and a police force with a very familiar blonde was standing across the clearing from me, guns drawn.

"Miss?" the male at the head of the formation called. "Are you alright?"

"I-." Realizing Texas was still barking, I leaned down to take ahold of his and Titus' collars. Dream or no, there was no way I was letting my dogs run away. "Who are you? Where am I?"

Even from this distance, I could tell that the men blinked in surprise. After a few moments, the man at the head of the formation holstered his gun and held up his empty hands in surrender. "You're American?"

"No shit Sherlock." I started rubbing Titus' ears, making them stand up. The intimidation worked because two of the men took a step back. _'Sometimes it comes in handy, having a hundred-and-five pound mostly-black German Shepherd.'_ "Where am I and who are you?"

"My name is Captain Simon, and we are outside the town of Cheddar. What is your name, miss?"

"Ann... My name is Ann Spencer."

Simon smiled softly. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Spencer. Now, may I ask what it is you are doing here, sleeping under a tree in your night garments with no one around?"

"I..." the words stuck in my throat as the realization crashed down around me. "I don't know..."


	2. Chapter 1

I sipped the tea, smiling gratefully at Seras. "Thank you, Miss..." I trailed off, not sure how I wanted to approach the situation.

"Seras, Seras Victoria." She smiled gently, settling into the chair across from me. Titus and Texas were on the floor in between us. Texas had warmed up to the young woman and let her pet him, but Titus was still distrustful and had opted to stay closer to my side. "I'm pleased to meet you, Miss Spencer."

"The pleasure is all mine, Miss Victoria." _'Thank God for Cotillion.'_

"If it's alright with you, I'd just like to ask a few questions."

I shrugged, pulling the blanket tighter around me. "Shoot." I winced when Seras tilted her head in confusion. "Er, go ahead."

"Ah. Alright then." She cleared her throat as she pulled out a pen and paper."What is your name?"

"Ann Spencer."

"How old are you?"

"Twenty." _'I'm going to assume this follows the plotline of the anime, which means it's roughly February 10th.'_

"What is the last thing you remember before waking up in the forest?"

"I couldn't sleep. It was 02:00, or 2 AM, whichever you prefer." I sipped the tea again. "I made myself some tea to help me relax, and when I got back to my room I woke the dogs up, so I sat down between them and decided to read a bit to see if that would help. The next thing I know, I'm waking up in the middle of a forest with Texas barking at you guys."

Seras had been taking notes the whole time, but when I stopped talking she stopped writing. "I see. What about your family?"

I shrugged. "Everyone else was asleep. My dad and I had stayed up a little later than the others, but not by much. We went to bed at the same time. I just couldn't sleep for some reason."

"Did you feel like you were being watched?"

"No."

"Were you unsettled at all?"

"Aside from being annoyed that I couldn't sleep? No."

"What about your dogs? From what I can tell they are very protective of you. Were they on edge at all?"

"I mean, Texas wasn't happy about me waking him up, but that's normal for him." I chuckled softly, rubbing the Lab's stomach with my foot. "He's a bit of a brat sometimes."

"I noticed." Seras laughed along with me, rubbing Texas' ears. He rolled over onto his back, tucking his paws against his chest. "Aw, he is really sweet isn't he?"

"Very." I rubbed Titus' snout so he didn't feel left out. "This one is too; he's just a little more apprehensive."

"I've heard that's natural for his breed." Seras regarded Titus a little warily.

"Don't worry; he isn't a normal German Shepherd." I smiled at her. "He's actually very sweet once he gets to know you."

"I see." Seras leaned back in her chair, sighing. "I am sorry, Miss Spencer. I wish we could help you out some more."

"You guys have already done a lot for me. Thank you." I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "I just wish I knew how in the hell I got here, or how to get home."

"Your family must be worried sick."

"Yeah..." I trailed off, feeling my heart twist in pain. "My mom is going to be terrified. I can't even imagine how my dad will react."

"They sound lovely."

_'Oh, you bloody moron.'_ I mentally kicked myself when I heard the tone in Seras' voice. I played it off, covering up my guilt with a smile. "I'm sorry. I'm just reminiscing."

"Oh no!" Seras' eyes flew open. She waved her hands across her body, smiling. "No need to apologize. In fact, I'm quite happy that you seem to have such a lovely family. I lost mine when I was a child, so it makes me happy to know that someone has a good home."

"I'm sorry, Seras," I said genuinely. Placing the cup down, I reached across to take her hand in mine. "Tell you what, if I'm able to find a way home and can swing it, how about you come with me? I'm sure my family would love you."

Her blue eyes widened greatly. "R-really? How can you be sure?"

"I'm a good judge of character." I winked at her. "That, and Texas likes you, so you can't be all that bad."

"So you just let your dog decide who you bring home."

"Pretty much." After a few moments, we both started laughing.

Seras smiled broadly at me. "Thank you, Miss Spencer. I appreciate the offer. I'd love to meet your family someday."

"Great." I smiled back, leaning back in my chair just as the door opened. Simon walked in. "Hello, Captain."

"Hello, Miss Spencer. I'm pleased to see you're doing better."

"Much, thanks to Officer Victoria here."

"Glad to hear it." Simon pulled up a chair. "Now, Officer Victoria, I take it you asked Miss Spencer relevant questions?"

"Yessir." Seras' spine went ramrod straight. "She has no recollection of how she got here or who brought her here. Her last memory is reading in her room."

"I see." Simon returned his attention to me. "I have a question of my own to ask you, if you don't mind."

"Not at all." I finished the tea, replacing the cup on the saucer.

"I can tell from your accent that you're American, but is it possible you have family somewhere here in England? Somewhere we can take you?"

"Not that I'm aware of, why?" Of course, I knew why, but I couldn't let them know that.

"We're not from this town. I can't tell you all of the details, but I can say it isn't safe for you to be here. Especially since you're American."

"Hm." I looked down at my lap. _'He makes good points. I'm not technically supposed to be alive right now; hell I still don't know if this is a dream. If it was a dream I could manipulate things to make them make more sense or to skip ahead, or even just try to wake up, but so far none of that is working. If on the off chance that this is somehow real, I need to be_ extremely _careful about what I say and who I talk to.'_

"I can see you need some time." Simon stood. "If you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask. We have officers stationed outside your room for safety."

"Thank you, Captain." I murmured, still somewhat lost in my thoughts. I barely registered it once the door had closed. After a few minutes, I stood up and walked to the window, my thoughts swirling in my head.

_'These guys are still human, which means technically speaking the series hasn't started yet. However, the team was only in town for a max of a day before they were turned into Ghouls. If they already have this hotel, that means...'_ Fear clenched my heart. _'It's going to happen tonight._

_'What do I do though? Do I stay and risk being turned into a Ghoul? Even if this is a dream those things are freaking scary and I'd really rather not have to see them more than I already do. My insomnia is bad enough as is. On the frankly petrifying off-chance that this is real, I know that normal bullets will not be enough to stop the Ghouls, and I can't run to save my life._

_'Could I really live with myself if I just left though? I mean... I know Seras will be okay. This is mostly her story, after all. But... it still feels wrong.'_

I looked down when I felt something cold shove itself between my hands. Titus had pushed his muzzle in between my hands that I had at some point started cracking. I smiled softly, kneeling down to hug the dog. "Thanks boy," I whispered into his fur. He rested his chin on my shoulder, sighing. Texas came over to lick my cheek.

"Oh, what am I going to do?" I rocked back onto my heels, staring at the dogs. Their brown eyes stared back. "I kind of wish you could talk. But at least you two are here. That makes this a little easier to deal with."

A knock at the door startled me. "Come in!" I called, standing up. Seras opened the door, smiling. "Miss Victoria! How can I help you?"

"The Captain decided that he's going to drive you to the next town over. We've already contacted an innkeeper there and she's preparing a room for you and your dogs as we speak."

"Thank you!" I was genuinely surprised at their generosity. "That's quite a bit to do for me."

"Oh, it's nothing." Seras waved it off. "You're a young woman. It's our civic duty to ensure you're taken care of."

_'Ah, that's right. Women's suffrage is still fairly new in this time.'_ "I really do appreciate this," I emphasized as we walked through the halls, Texas and Titus trotting alongside me. The Captain had given me two leashes for Texas and Titus so I could walk them without worry of them running off. When we got outside, I saw the Captain was standing by an armored vehicle.

"It was really nice getting to know you, Miss Spencer. I hope we meet again."

"Oh, we will." I smiled at her. "I have to introduce you to my family after all."

"I suppose you're right!" Seras laughed.

"Oh, and one more thing." I shook her hand. "Call me Ann. Miss Spencer feels too formal."

"Alright then. I'll call you Ann if you call me Seras."

"Easiest deal I ever made." We laughed again. After a moment, I decided to embrace the girl. "Please take care, Seras." Despite initially freezing, she returned the hug.

"You too Ann," she said as we parted. I smiled at her, waving as I hopped into the vehicle. Texas hopped onto my lap while Titus curled up on my feet.

"Ready to go, Miss Spencer?" The Captain smiled at me.

"I am. Thank you for doing this."

"It is my pleasure, Miss Spencer."

I sighed to myself, drumming my fingertips on the windowsill. The evening was growing darker, the full moon glowing brighter. Titus and Texas were crashed out in front of the fireplace.

True to his word, the Captain had brought me to the neighboring town, approximately thirty minutes down the road by car. Before handing me off, he had given me a Beretta M9 as a parting gift, saying "You look like the kind of lass who knows her way around a gun. Plus, I'd feel rotten if I let a pretty little thing leave without giving you something to remember me by." He had added that last part with a wink, tow which I had laughed as I stuck the gun into the waistband of my skirt. Seras had given me some of her spare clothes so I didn't go everywhere in my pajamas.

After the Captain dropped me off, the innkeeper and her husband had immediately taken care of me, fussing all over me like a pair of grandparents. According to them, the Captain had told them his team found me in nothing but my night garments (which was true) with my dogs for protection (which was also true), and had no memory of where I was or how I got there. What he _failed_ to mention, is that I had not lost _all_ of my memories, but the older couple had taken his words as I had forgotten the last couple days of my life with no memory of where my family was or how to get back.

While not entirely true, it wasn't exactly false.

I sighed again, lightly banging my head against the windowsill. Guilt and the resulting nausea were churning inside of me, eating away at me. I glanced over at Texas and Titus. The Lab was snoring, dead to the world, while Titus was on his back, his paws occasionally twitching.

_'If only I was as carefree as you two.'_ My thoughts returned to the town where soon, a massacre was about to take place.

_'Let's see. He was going approximately forty kilometers an hour, which roughly translates to twenty-five miles an hour. It only took us thirty minutes to get here, which means it's only a twelve-and-a-half mile walk. Walking at three miles an hour, it would take me about four hours to get there. If I left now I'd arrive around midnight, which seems to be the height for vampire activity. Even still...'_

I glanced down at the Beretta in my hand. It was a sleek gun, of a rather beautiful design. _'Italians certainly know how to make beautiful art.'_ I released the magazine and racked the slide, unloading the firearm. A bullet popped out of the chamber, landing in my lap. They were hollow-points, not that I was surprised. It was a military-issue firearm after all. The magazine had fifteen bullets in it, so I had a total of sixteen bullets if things got hairy.

"What are you doing?" I scolded myself softly. "You know that these things won't help you..." I glanced at my dogs again, mentally weighing my options, even though I knew in my heart I had already made my decision.

"And yet you're still going anyways, dumbass."

I looked up at the sky as I walked. The moon was high at this point, and the night was silent. I had left a note for the innkeeper saying I had forgotten something important in Cheddar and had to go back to retrieve it, and that I'd be back by morning. But as I walked closer to Cheddar, the less certain I was.

"I already know these bullets aren't going to work. What am I going to do? Offer myself in Seras' place?" I shuddered at the thought of being around the perverted vampire and all of those Ghouls. "I'd really rather not be turned into a vampire either."

Lights flashing through the trees caught my attention. _'The camp!'_ A smirk crossed my face. _'Perfect.'_ I snuck closer to the treeline, examining the camp. Finding the ideal entry point, I circled around to it.

"Halt! Who goes there?" True to form, the police officers trained their weapons on me as soon as they saw me. I held up my hands, spreading my fingers so they could see in the darkness that I had nothing in my hands.

"Someone who is in desperate need of directions!" At my voice, the men immediately lowered the weapons and turned on their headlights. I blinked in pain, reflexively covering my eyes.

"A woman!" I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at the whispers. "What are you doing here, young miss?" A shadow fell over me as the voice spoke. It was one of the officers, using his body to block the majority of the light.

"I was trying to get to Cheddar but I lost my way in the darkness." I could see some of the officers glanced at each other. "Do any of you know a Captain Simon?"

The officer standing in front of me stood straighter in shock.

"Come with me." The officer in front of me offered me his hand. I took it, allowing him to lead me through the camp. He weaved through the men and patrol cars, making his way to a tent. "Excuse me," he said before entering the tent, still holding my hand.

The men inside looked from their guests to us. The man in front, wearing a brown tweed suit, looked me up and down. "Officer. Who is this?"

"A young miss. She says she knows Captain Simon." That got everyone's attention, including the woman with extremely long blonde hair. The officer who had escorted me in was waved off. He saluted before leaving the tent.

"How do you know him, Miss...?" The suited man asked.

"My name is Ann Spencer, and I know Captain Simon because he and his team saved me earlier today." Out of the corner of my eye, I watched the reactions of the two who were clearly not police officers. "I was lost in the woods when they brought me to Cheddar. When I told them I had nowhere to go, they took me to a neighboring town. Something about Cheddar being too dangerous for me."

"Indeed it is." The young woman spoke up. I grimaced at the smell of cigars. "So why are you going back?"

"Well, cause..." I reached into the back of the waistband of my pants, pulling out the Beretta. "He gave me this. I didn't have time to give it back to him before he left, but I didn't feel right keeping it, so..." I trailed off, shrugging to complete the effect.

The men on the opposite side of the table exchanged glances while the blonde woman's eyes never left my form. I placed the gun on the table, ensuring my finger was never near the trigger. I stepped back from the table and crossed my arms, waiting to hear their verdict.

It never came.

"Sir, I've completely lost radio contact with squads two and three." The man that was manning the radio spoke up.

"Bollocks." One of the officers left the table and walked over to the man. He picked up the mic. "What's going on? Report. Come in!"

The blonde blew out a puff of cigar smoke. I reflexively coughed, taking a few more steps back and covering my mouth. "If you are to stop the Ghouls from further multiplying, you're going to have to terminate that vampire at the source. And this is where Hellsing comes in. We will take care of your vampire."

"That's... insane."

_'Oh, you don't even know the half of it.'_ I did my very best to not smirk.

"I can assure you, gentlemen, that one of our finest anti-vampire field agents is already on route to Cheddar. This will be settled in a matter of hours."

"What sort of agent would handle this?"

_'An incredibly sexy one who has no right being so hot. Then again he is from Hell, so... ah! Focus.'_

"I promise there is no greater expert walking this earth." I glanced at Integra. The smirk on her face said more than her words ever could.

"How can you be so sure?" The man in the suit seemed adamant to not believe her.

"It's quite simple, really. He is a vampire himself."

"Your agent's a _vampire_!?"

"Correct! You see, humans make poor vampire killers. They're frail, they're mortal, they're corruptible, body mind and soul. The most effective weapon against a vampire is another, more powerful vampire. The Hellsing Organization has such a creature in its menagerie, and let me assure you, gentlemen, _our_ vampire has power beyond imagination." With that, Integra turned to leave the tent. As she did so, she stopped in front of me. "Come with me, and bring the gun."

"Um, okay." I took the gun off the table and stuck it back into my waistband. Walter held the tent flap open for the both of us, letting it fall closed behind him.

The three of us walked in silence until we reached the end of the camp. I stood a fair distance from Integra. She noticed.

"Are you frightened of me?"

"No." I looked her full in the face, locking gazes with her. "I just can't stand the smell of cigars. They make it difficult for me to breathe."

"Ah." She took the cigar out of her mouth, exhaling one last time before crushing it under her boot. "Better?"

"A little, thank you, but I'll still stay upwind for a while if you don't mind."

"As long as you don't mind me asking a few questions."

"Go for it." I stuck my hands in my pockets.

"Why were you really going back to Cheddar?" I froze, something she noticed. "What were you actually planning on doing once you got there?"

"I..." I held her gaze for a few moments before letting out a hefty sigh. "I felt something was off. I just... I just knew something was wrong."

"And you went back, not even knowing what could be going on?"

"Well, yeah." I pulled a face, staring at Integra like she was an idiot. "The Captain and his team were kind to me, and they're the only people I know here. I felt like something was wrong when they decided to devote time to getting me out of the town instead of just letting me stay there." I tilted my head back to stare at the moon.

"I mean, I know it's probably foolish, especially since they worked so hard to get me out of whatever was happening there. But... I've never been the type of person to just sit by and let something happen when I knew there was something I could do to stop it or at the very least lessen the impact. It's just a part of who I am."

"I see..." Integra looked up at the moon as well. "You realize they're probably dead." I winced. "Do you know why?"

"You mentioned something about Ghouls and vampires, but honestly it sounded all a little fantastical to me."

"Yes, I suppose it would." Integra laughed. "Let me introduce myself since you weren't there for that." Integra turned to face me fully, a hand over her heart. "I am Integra Fairbook Wingates Hellsing, head of the Hellsing family and leader of the Hellsing Organization. This is my butler, Walter C. Dornez."

"A pleasure." Walter bowed to me.

I nodded to him as I turned to face Integra, extending my hand for her to shake. "Ann Spencer. Twenty years old, American, and currently wondering what in the actual hell I've been thrown into." Integra blinked in surprise, her hand dropping from mine.

""Thrown into"? Now that's an interesting expression. Why do you say that?"

"Remember when I said the Captain and his team are the only people I know here?" Integra and Walter nodded. "I meant that literally. Earlier today I woke up in this forest in nothing but my pajamas and nothing but my dogs around me. The Captain and his team found me and brought me to the inn where they were staying."

"Why were you sleeping in the forest?" Integra fixed me with an intense stare.

"I don't know." I held her stare evenly. "The last thing I remember is sitting down on the floor of my room with my dogs to read a bit and then the next thing I know, I'm waking up in the forest because my dog is barking at the Captain. Simply put, I fell asleep in America and I woke up in England."

Integra stared into my eyes, reading my expression. I held her gaze without flinching, my stance relaxed. I had no reason to be intimidated by her. Off to the side, Walter was staring at me just as intensely, but I didn't care much for him.

"What were you going to read?" I blinked in surprise. Out of all of the questions Integra could have asked, I wasn't expecting her to ask that.

"Ironically, a book about vampires." I chuckled. "It was the myth of Dracula."

Integra chuckled along with me. "Ironic indeed." We both turned to face down the path. "Tell me, Miss Spencer, where are your dogs now?"

"At the inn the Captain put me up at. I told the innkeeper I'd be back in the morning to pick them up."

"And after that? What will you do?" Integra's voice was soft.

"Truthfully?" I sighed heavily, my gaze falling. "I don't know. I don't know anybody here. I don't have any family here in England, none directly related to me at least. I don't have any money, and I don't have a job." I sighed again, the full weight of the situation hitting me. "I truthfully don't know what I'm going to do."

"How good are you with that gun?"

"What?" I turned to face Walter. His expression was even.

"How good are you with that gun?"

"This one?" I patted the gun in my waistband. "I've never shot this particular gun before, but I'm pretty decent with a firearm in general."

"What types of firearms?" Walter was closer now. I shrugged, keeping my expression neutral aside from the smirk on my face. 

"What types you got?"

Integra chuckled. "Any type you want."

"Oh really." I turned my gaze to Integra. "What's the catch?"

"You come work for Hellsing." I lifted an eyebrow at her. "You have no other options, and you already know of us. We can't exactly have you wandering around now, can we?"

"Oh. So this is more you covering your own ass than it is offering me a place to stay and a job." Our gazes clashed.

"You could say that." Integra and I didn't give a mental inch as we stared each other down. "Do you accept?"

"As long as I get to keep my dogs and choose the guns. I'm an American after all. I like my freedoms."

Integra smirked. This time, she extended her hand. When we shook, her smile grew. "Deal."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Episode(s) Used: Episode 1: "Hellsing I"
> 
> And so it begins.


	3. Chapter 2

"Holy fuck." I gaped up at the mansion. Integra seemed amused, if her smirk was anything to go by. Feeling childish, I stuck my tongue out at her, but she just chuckled in return.

"Come along, Miss Spencer." I silently followed her and Walter into the mansion, taking in everything I could. As fantastic as the mansion was in the anime, it truly didn't give it justice.

The greyed stone shone in the early morning light, turning it shades of orange and gold. The windows reflected the sunrise back at us, the clear glass turning red and purple in the light. In the green trees sang birds, and the wind blew the crisp smell of frost and freshly cut grass around us. I couldn't help but inhale deeply, relishing in the pure air, untainted like the air I was used to.

The inside of the mansion was just as beautiful. White marble pillars rose from the white marble floors that reached to the cathedral ceilings, which were adorned with stained wooden beams. On the walls was an intricate wallpaper decorated with paintings and portraits of undoubtedly important people. I recognized some as Elizabeth I and other monarchs, but others were foreign to me.

"Walter will give you a full tour later." I turned my gaze to Integra. "In the meantime, please don't dawdle."

"Sorry. I've just never seen anything so fancy."

"I can tell." I bit my tongue to refrain from saying something sarcastic. I followed Integra and Walter up the stairs. At the landing, Walter went right, taking Titus and Texas with him, while Integra and I went left. "Walter is going to prepare your room. He will rejoin us once he is done."

"I see." Integra strode through the halls with purpose, never breaking in her stride. Eventually, we arrived at a room I recognized. _'This is her office.'_

"I have a few questions before we get fully settled, Miss Spencer," Integra said as she settled into her chair behind the desk.

I sat down, leaning back into my own chair. "Go for it." I crossed my ankles, making sure I kept my expression and posture neutral.

"How old are you?"

"Twenty."

"When were you born?"

"September."

"I meant the year."

"1978."

"Where were you born?"

"California. I'd give you the city but I doubt you'd know where it is."

"Agreed." Integra exhaled, leaning her nose on her interlaced fingers so she could look at me over them. "How long have you been shooting?"

"Since I was six."

"Why?"

"My father wanted to make sure I was capable of protecting myself if the need should arise. So as soon as I was old enough to comprehend what I was doing and how dangerous it was, he took me out to the range so I could lose my fear and gain my confidence."

"I see. What types of guns have you handled?"

"Handguns, obviously." I patted the one I had holstered at my side. "But I've shot everything from handguns to rifles to shotguns to grenade launchers."

Integra's eyes widened behind her glasses. "Really? I can't imagine all of those were for personal protection."

"No." I laughed. "Some were just for fun."

"Why would you shoot those things for fun?"

"So I know how to use them. So I'm not scared of them."

"Why would your father allow you to shoot those?"

"First of all I only shot them once I was physically strong enough to do so. Secondly, what I just said. Third, there's this little thing in America called the Second Amendment. It allows us to shoot anything we so desire. Federal regulations keep some things from civilians and or private ranges, but when in the presence of a certified instructor at a certified range, you can shoot almost anything."

"Interesting." Integra leaned back in her chair, dropping her hands to her lap. "Final question. What do you think of vampires?"

”I mean, you mentioned them last night, but other than that I have no opinion of them other than they're a fun myth to study."

"”A fun myth to study,” huh?" a deep voice that was very much not Integra's echoed through the room. I instinctively stiffened up and looked around for the source. "Is that what you think of vampires?"

The owner of the voice materialized through the wall to my left, his red glasses reflecting the morning light. He straightened as soon as he was fully through the wall, towering over me even though he was twenty feet away from me. He walked closer, still smirking. I kept his gaze, even though I had to eventually crane my neck back quite a bit to do so.

 _'Holy shit I knew he was tall but_ fuck _he's tall. He's at least a foot taller than me, damn.'_

"I appreciate the compliment, little miss." I stuck my tongue in my cheek at the comment. He just smirked wider. "Yes, I can read your thoughts."

"Speaking of, was she telling the truth, Alucard?"

"She was."

 _'No fucking shit, Sherlock. Care to take my blood pressure next?'_ Alucard stiffened minutely, glaring at me. I just smirked back. _'Might want to stay out of my head, Fangface. It's not a nice place to be.'_

Alucard leaned down until his nose was almost brushing mine. "I take that as a challenge, little American." From the smirk and tone, he clearly expected me to shy away from him. His eyes glinted behind his red-lensed glasses, flashing with challenge.

Instead, I leaned forward, bumping my forehead into his with enough force that he let out a tiny grunt. I kept my eyes directly on his, not giving a physical or mental inch. "If that's a challenge, then how about this: kiss my Star-Spangled ass, Fangface."

"What?" he growled. Before either of us could say more, Integra burst out laughing.

"I have to admit, I was not expecting that response from you, Miss Spencer." She smiled, amusement practically pouring out of her. "I've never seen anyone stand up to Alucard like that."

"Clearly you've never met an American then." I didn't move my gaze from Alucard's, waiting to see what he did. "What's the matter, Fangface? Afraid of losing to a girl?"

"Afraid? I should think, that if anyone would be scared, it would be you, little star."

"In your dreams maybe."

"Alucard," Integra reprimanded as she called off her vampire. He huffed, standing back up to his full height. He stared down his nose at me. I cocked my hip, placing a hand on it and smirking up at him. "Miss Spencer." I finally turned to face Integra again. She was smiling at me. "Welcome to Hellsing."

"What?!" Alucard whipped his head to stare at Integra. "She's going to be working with us?"

"You, specifically," Integra smirked. "I'd like to see how this relationship develops. Additionally, she knows your newest acquisition, Miss Seras Victoria. They will be spending time together, so naturally, you and Miss Spencer will be as well."

"Is Seras going to be okay?" I let the smirk drop from my face. "I mean, after everything. Is she going to be alright?"

"Yes, she is." We all turned to see Walter had at some point entered the room. "She should wake up tonight. In the meantime, I have prepared your room, Miss Spencer."

"Thank you, Walter." Integra stood. "That's all for now."

"Cool." As I turned away, I winked at Alucard. "See you later, Fangface." He didn't respond as I walked out of the room.

"I'd advise against antagonizing him, Miss Spencer." I glanced at Walter as we walked. "Alucard does not have the most longsuffering temper."

"I'm not worried." I stuck my hands in my pockets, my shoulders relaxed. "As long as Integra likes me, he can't do anything to me. So all I have to do is stay on her good side."

"I suppose that's true." Walter chuckled. "And what of me?"

"I don't know." I smiled at him. "I guess we'll find out."

"I guess we will." Walter stopped in front of a door. "This will be your room for as long as you'll be working with us here at Hellsing," he said as he opened the door.

"What the fuck!?" I gaped once I saw the room. Just like the rest of the house, the room had cathedral ceilings. The walls were a soft ivory in color with crown molding. The carpet was squishy and appeared to be freshly cleaned.

Walter had chosen a corner room with a circle sitting area in the window that overlooked the front yard. Two chairs covered in a plush brown velvet with a large ottoman covered with the same fabric sat in the sitting area. A lamp and table sat in between the chairs. The windows were covered with gold curtains that could be drawn back with strings. Texas and Titus were laying over by the chairs.

On the left side of the room was a massive marble fireplace in which a fire was burning, heating the room. A beautiful painting depicting an ancient battle adorned the mantlepiece.

On the right side was a king-sized bed with a black iron-wrought bedframe and a massive mirror behind it. The bed and pillow coverings were a soft green with a golden scroll. A mahogany bedside tables sat on either side of the bed. A white nightgown was laid out on the bed. On the far side of the bed was an open doorframe that undoubtedly led to the bathroom.

"If this room is not to your liking I'm certain we could find something else."

"Not to my liking?" I stopped in the middle of the room, turning around slowly as I took everything in. "Walter this room is _gorgeous_. I adore it!"

He smiled softly. "I am pleased to hear it, Miss Spencer. A fitter will be by in an hour to fit you for a uniform."

"Do I have to wear a uniform?" I pouted. "You don't make Alucard wear one."

"Alucard is an undead vampire who is capable of ripping anyone he doesn't like to shreds." Walter deadpanned. "He is an exception."

"Fair enough." I laughed. "I'm teasing Walter. I don't mind having to wear a uniform as long as I have the final say over the design. I know what I like and what I fight best in."

Walter smirked. "Fair enough." he mimicked as he bowed. "Feel free to familiarize yourself in the meantime."

"Thank you, Walter." I smiled at him, waiting until the door had closed before flopping onto the bed with a hefty sigh. Titus and Texas nuzzled at my legs, flopping over and heaving sighs themselves. "I agree boys." After a few moments, I got up to explore the bathroom. Just like the bedroom, it was elaborate.

White marble made up the floors. A gorgeous sink cabinet with a white granite countertop was immediately to the right of the door. There were at least ten cabinets. A standing tub with mahogany cabinets around it sat under the windows that thankfully had heavy curtains over them. A shower was at the back of the bathroom with the toilet to the left of it. Directly on the left of the door was a vanity with a plush chair sitting in front of it.

"At least I'll be able to do my makeup in peace." I murmured as I sank into the chair and looked at myself in the mirror. "Ew."

My hair was a greasy mess. I had dark circles under my eyes, and my skin was paler than normal. Simply put, I looked like shit.

"Ooh, this is nice." I hummed as I picked up the nightgown. I had thought it was cotton, but it turned out to be Egyptian cotton. The hems were lined with satin and lace. "Alright boys, guard the door. Mama's taking a shower."

I stood in front of the mirror, letting the fitter take his measurements. "I was a bit surprised, Miss Spencer."

"At what?"

"Your measurements." The fitter slung the tape around his neck, taking down a few notes. "It seems I'll have to make some alterations to the skirt-."

"No skirts." I dropped my arms, turning to face the man.

"Excuse me?" The fitter looked up at me, surprised. Integra looked up as well from the book she was reading.

"I'm not going to wear a skirt for a uniform."

"The young woman Mister Alucard brought in is wearing one."

"I don't give a damn what she's wearing." I crossed my arms, cocking my hip and sticking my tongue in my cheek. "I am not going to wear a skirt as a uniform, especially one that short. It’s unbecoming, it exposes way too much, and you can’t store shit like, oh I don’t know, extra magazines in a skirt in general, let alone one that barely covers my ass.”

”I, I, I…” the fitter looked to Integra for help.

”She has the final say, good sir. We can’t force her to wear one, and she does make good points.” Integra’s voice was schooled and level, though her smirk said much more.

”Y-yes, Sir Integra.” The fitter turned back to me. ”Very well. What do you want?”

”Same uniform as the men. Cargo pants, long sleeves, bulletproof vest, the works. I’m not going to leave myself vulnerable if I can help it.”

”Understood.” The fitter crossed out a few measurements before taking new ones of my legs and hips. ”There we are. The uniform should be ready by tomorrow.”

”Fantastic.” Integra snapped the book closed. ”That gives us time to get you up to speed and test the Police Girl in the field.”

”Seras.” I snipped. Integra lifted an eyebrow at me. ”Her name is Seras.”

”I’m aware.” The fitter scuttled out of the room silently. ”She is also a police girl.”

”She’s also a Vampire.” I stepped off the podium, crossing my arms. ”If you’re going to call her Police Girl, you might as well call her Vampire Police Girl since you seem keen on calling her by what she is, not who she is.”

”A sharp tongue, Miss Spencer. Be careful how you use it.”

”Oh believe me. I am.” I smirked. ”Nothing comes out of my mouth that hasn’t been thought through.”

”Really.” The blonde clearly wasn’t happy, from her deadpan tone.

”Yup.” I smirked. ”And before you go off on ”disrespecting authority”, there’s a difference between being disrespectful and calling you out on your bullshit.”

”Indeed.” Integra ground out. She stalked out of the room. ”Walter will let you know when dinner’s ready.”

”Sweet. See you then.” I smiled at her, knowing it would aggravate her. She scowled, nodded her head, and left. I looked down at Titus who just tilted his head; Texas was asleep next to the fireplace.

”Enjoying yourself there, puppers?” I rubbed his ears, smiling when he rolled over so I could rub his stomach. ”Gracious, you’re spoiled.”

”This is the range.” Walter opened the door, allowing me in first. I looked around, taking a good look at each of the stalls.

’Not much different from the ones back home.’ Since being reminded that Alucard could read my thoughts, I was almost hyperaware of what I was thinking. I never knew where the freak was lurking.

”This is where we’ll test out your abilities.” Walter stopped next to some stalls. Each had a target set back at varying lengths. The first had a target at 5 yards, the second was set at 15, the third at 25, and the fourth at 50.

”Let me guess: handgun, handgun, rifle, rifle.”

”Quite astute.” Walter seemed to be a bit taken aback.

”Like I told Integra, I’ve been shooting since I was six. I know my way around a range.” I walked over to the first stall. The Beretta M9 was there, along with a loaded magazine, ear protection, and glasses. _’Though…’_ I looked up at the target. _’I’m not wearing my contacts or my glasses. I don’t know if I’ll be able to hit anything outside of 5 yards, and even then I don’t know how accurate I’ll be.’_ I racked the slide, loading a bullet into the chamber. With the glasses and muffs on, I cracked my neck, settled into my stance, and glanced at Walter.

He was looking at his pocket watch. ”Ready?”

I nodded, returning my gaze to the target. My hands flexed around the grip, settling into a firm grip while keeping my finger off the trigger. _’Four rules of gun safety.’_

”Go!”

I lifted the gun, leveled it on the center target, and shot. Letting the trigger out to the point where it reset, and let off another shot. As I shot, my breathing naturally settled into the rhythm so I was shooting when I was the most steady. In less than five seconds, I emptied the magazine.

”Let’s see how you did.” Walter and I walked over to the target. ”Well.” Walter coughed, taken aback if his widened eyes were anything to go by. ”I’d say you killed him.”

The entire center mass of the chest of the target, where the heart would be, was a gaping hole.

_’The target was clearer than I’ve seen it in years. What is going on?’_

”Well let’s go on to the next one.” I silently went to the next stall.

 _’Let’s see what happens with the 15-yard target.’_ I reloaded the weapon, calmed my breathing, waited for Walter’s ”Go!”, and repeated the cycle.

Just like before, the heart was carved out.

”Rifle next.”

 _’What is going on?’_ I settled behind the AR, locking onto the target through the scope. Even through the scope, the target had never seemed clearer to me. _’Have my eyes changed since arriving here? Come to think of it, my shoulder is not weakening at all. Has coming here healed me?’_

”Well done, Miss Spencer.” I sat up from the rifle, taking off the protective glasses and muffs. Walter was smirking proudly. His arms were clasped behind him. ”I see you were downplaying your talent.”

”To be fair, I never said how good I was.” I cracked my neck, releasing the pressure that had built up while I was shooting. ”All I said is that I was pretty decent.” I watched as the men took down the targets and set up their own. Every target I had shot had the heart carved out.

”As I said, downplaying.” Walter offered me a hand up. I took it, letting him haul me to my feet. ”Remind me to never stand downrange of you.”

”Trust me, Walter.” I laughed as we left the range. ”I’m the least of your worries.” He lifted an eyebrow at me. ”You _do_ live and work with two vampires. You can’t honestly tell me you trust them wholeheartedly.”

”Hmm…” Walter held the car door open for me. I sat down, watching him walk around to the driver’s side. Even though the range was in the dungeon of the home, Integra had given me a day to go out and get some new clothes. Something about needing to take care of an issue in Ireland.

Walter and I sat in silence for a while as Walter drove into London. ”You’re correct.”

”I’m sorry?” I stopped looking at the countryside that was slowly becoming more urban to look at the back of Walter’s head.

”You’re correct. I do not trust Alucard, or Miss Victoria. Any more than I trust you, Miss Spencer.”

”Hm. Flattered.” I smirked, lifting my elbow to rest it on the windowsill. I leaned my cheek against my fingers. ”I didn’t realize I was that big of a threat to you.”

”You weren’t, until I saw you shoot.”

”Ah.” I felt my smirk grow as we drove into London. ”Glad I could prove my worth.”


	4. Chapter 3

"All flesh is grass, and all the comeliness thereof of the flower of the field. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, but the word of our God abideth for _ever_." With the added emphasis on the last word, the stake was driven through the prone man's heart. Blood poured from the man's mouth, nose, and eyes.

"Have I been, bested, sir?" His crimson eyes stared up at the hazy figure standing over him, shrouded in scarlet.

"Yes, you are bested." The figure confirmed, slowly growing more distinct. "This is not a nightmare you will be awaking from. Your castles are plundered, your dominions in ruin, your servant destroyed, and the girl has fled this place forevermore." Steely blue eyes glared down at the man with no remorse. "She will never be yours, _Count_." The title may have held respect once, but the venom with which it was spat held no such thing.

When the Count said nothing, his attacker reached up and swung his hand down onto the stake that he had jammed into the Count's chest. With a grunt of effort, he slashed down, opening the Count's torso with a spray of crimson blood. The darker haired man reeled back with a scream of pain, but his attacker hauled him back by his coat lapels.

"You are judged, and found wanting, Vampire King. You have nothing. You _are_ nothing. Nothing!"

The Vampire King said nothing as his vision faded to black, his attacker's face the last thing he saw.

With a gasp, Alucard's eyes flew open. He was in his room, in the dungeon of Hellsing Manor. He was alone. Only his ragged breathing disturbed the otherwise silent room.

Feeling something wet on his face, he touched it and lowered his hand. The tips of his thumb, pointer, and middle finger were stained with his own blood. He watched as a few drops of the same liquid dripped onto the white glove, staining the palm.

"Dreaming... It was just a dream." He gritted his teeth, anger and resentment washing over him. "It was _nothing_."

_'Even still... I'm not going to be able to sleep anymore tonight.'_ He stood up, sighing to himself. _'A walk should do me good.'_

Phasing through the door, he silently left the dungeon to wander the manor. It was a little after two in the morning. Everyone but the night guards were still awake. He knew they wouldn't bother him though. They were too scared.

_'Hello... what is this?'_ There was a light in the library. Smirking, he phased through the wall to avoid the squeaky door hinges. Silently, he padded around bookshelves until he found the source of the light. He hid behind a bookshelf, observing.

It was the young American girl Integra had taken in. She was dressed in nothing but a simple white nightgown; a blanket was draped over her hips and legs. A cup of tea was sitting on the table to her left. In her hands was a rather hefty book, and at her feet were her two dogs.

The German Shepherd lifted his head and locked gazes with Alucard. His own crimson eyes widened before he remembered that dogs have a much better sense of scent that humans. _'He probably smelled me.'_

"What is it, baby?" The girl stopped reading the book to look at her dog. He didn't look back at her, instead keeping his gaze trained on Alucard. She lifted her own gaze, her eyes narrowing to block out as much light as possible as she scanned the area. Alucard noticed her right hand drifting to behind her thighs.

"That won't help you." he teased in a low voice. She started, before her body relaxed as she rolled her eyes.

"Oh come off it, Fangface. The hell do you want?" She leaned down to pet her dog, relaxing him. As she did so, Alucard came around the bookshelf to sit one of the chairs facing her.

"I want to know why you're up so late."

"It's not late. It's-" the words froze in her mouth when she glanced at a pocket watch. "Two... in the morning..."

"Indeed it is," the vampire chuckled. "And yet you do not seem tired. I thought that humans require sleep."

"Oh we do. Actually humans will die if we don't sleep within eleven days. Our internal organs will shut down causing our body to give out. But some of us are blessed with this oh so wonderful thing called insomnia." With a sigh that was more growl, the girl closed the book and rubbed her temples.

"I see." Alucard settled into the chair, crossing his legs. "How often do you struggle with this?" The girl looked up at him in surprise. In her head, he could hear her immediately doubting his intentions. He sighed softly.

Standing up, he slowly walked over to the girl. Her dogs watched him warily. The German Shepherd pressed himself against her legs while the Lab shot up to back away from him. She watched him with equally untrusting eyes but made no move to stop him as he sat down on the couch.

"I noticed you had a difficult time keeping yourself awake yesterday." Alucard started, watching the dogs out of the corner of his eye. "You did a masterful job of hiding it, but it did not take too much from me to figure out why you were unable to pay attention to some things."

"Read my mind, did you?"

"No," Alucard smirked. "Your body language." The Lab stepped closer, sniffing at his boots.

"So? What's your point?" The girl was scratching the neck of her German Shepherd, keeping that one calm while the Lab explored more of his legs. Alucard tried moving the dog away, but he came right back.

"It would not do well for me to have a sniper fall asleep while she is supposed to be watching my back."

"That's what Seras is for, isn't it?"

"No." The girl blinked in surprise. "While the Police Girl has her uses, she will fight on the front lines. You are a much better long-range shot than you are short-range, so you will be a sniper, watching both of us."

"Did you just-?"

"Yes." Alucard cut her off, smirking. "To both of your questions."

"You need to quit that. It's rude."

"My apologies." he chuckled. The Lab nudged his hand, making him look down at the creature. The animal nudged his snout under the vampire's hand and kept it there. "What...?"

"He wants you to pet him." Alucard stared at the girl unbelievingly. "He'll start pawing at you in a minute."

"I may hurt him." She leveled a gun at his torso. "Those bullets won't harm me."

"Sacred silver ones will." Alucard felt his eyes widen as her smirk grew. "I figured the only one who'd find me would be you if you were still up, so I took precautions."

"Smart girl." Looking down at the Lab again, Alucard started to slowly drag his hand over the dog's head. He repeated the motion over and over again. Apparently he was doing it right, because the dog sat down and fell asleep with his head in the vampire's lap.

"Pretty routinely."

"What?" Alucard looked up at the girl again only to see that she was petting the German Shepherd.

"You asked how often I struggle with insomnia." She sighed heavily. "Pretty routinely, especially when I'm under stress."

"Such as?"

"Well for starters, in the last twenty-four hours I have somehow unknowingly traveled almost five thousand miles across two continents and an ocean to a city I've never been to before and had no connection with, found out that not only vampires exist but they are in fact very much _not_ what everyone believes them to be and very much dangerous and psychotic some of them, and joined an organization dedicated to the hunting and killing of said vampires with yet another said vampire that sleeps under my feet, not to mention the fact that I was already dealing with insomnia the night before I showed up here." Somehow, she said all of that in one breath. She turned a very unamused gaze to the vampire. "Shall I go on?"

"That's alright, I got the point." Alucard watched the girl. _'Heartbeat is raised but that's just cause of her outburst. Breathing is shallow. Her body is exhausted but her mind won't let her sleep.'_ "What time do you usually fall asleep on nights like this?"

"Three, if I'm lucky. Five is more likely."

"Doesn't Walter get you up at seven?"

"Seven-thirty."

"So you only get a max of four and a half hours of sleep." The girl nodded.

"If I'm lucky."

"Hm. Have you tried medications?"

"No. Once you start taking pills to artificially compensate for something your body stops doing it naturally." The girl sighed before turning her gaze to Alucard. "Why are you so curious? What does it benefit you to know any of this?"

"I know a thing or two about sleepless nights." he grinned. Standing, he offered the girl a hand. "Come with me."

"Why?"

"Trust me."

"Not good enough."

"Suit yourself." Alucard shrugged as he disappeared.

"What was that about?" I stared at where Alucard was once standing. "What did he want?"

Titus whined at me, catching my attention. I rubbed his ears. His tail thumped in response.

"Yeah he was acting a little weird, wasn't he? Then again he is a vampire so I don't exactly know why I would think he'd be normal."

"A misgiving, on your part, my dear."

"GAHly!" I whirled in my seat to see Alucard had materialized behind me. "For the love of all that is holy in this world do not do that again. Trying to send me to an early grave?" I reprimanded as I watched him walk around the couch. He sat down again, still smirking.

"Here." He held out a goblet filled with a dark red liquid. I lifted an eyebrow at him. "It's not blood, I promise."

"Uh-huh." Still suspicious, I sat up and took the goblet. Keeping my eyes on the vampire, I sniffed the drink. "It's wine?"

"Cabernet Sauvignon, bottled thirty years ago in Paris, France." I swirled the wine around a bit, letting the aroma waft out as I got the air bubbles out of the wine.

"How did you know I like this one?"

"In truth? I guessed." I scoffed softly, but Alucard actually dropped the arrogant smirk to smile. "it seemed like a good one."

"Okay... but, why the wine?"

"it's said that having a glass of wine can help one relax."

"That's what the jasmine tea was for." I nodded at the empty cup beside me.

"True, but wine has been proven effective from what I've heard." I leaned back on the armrest, scanning Alucard's features.

"Seriously, Alucard." He blinked, his crimson eyes staring into my brown ones. "Why do you care so much?"

"I could tell you have not rested well in the last few days. Since you refuse to take pills, perhaps this will help."

"That doesn't answer my question."

"Integra will not let you take a day off just because you missed a night of sleep." Alucard's voice had a bit of bite to it this time. "If you are to be working with me and the Police Girl in the field, you need to be at your best. That includes being well-rested."

"I suppose." I stared down at the wine. After a few moments, I smiled softly at the vampire. "Thank you." He returned the smile, to my surprise.

"You are welcome."

"Care to stay with me while I finish the chapter and this glass? It's depressing to drink alone."

"I thought you'd never ask." Alucard lifted his other hand, in which he held a goblet filled with a liquid that, while essentially the same color, was much thicker than the one in my glass. "This one is blood."

"Just don't try to switch them and we'll be good." Alucard laughed, throwing an arm over the back of the lounge. His arm was so long it wrapped around the back of the lounge behind my shoulders even though there was a good bit of space between us.

"I wouldn't dream of it."

"Then to sleepless nights and interesting company." I held the goblet up. After a moment, he toasted mine with his.

"To interesting company then."

"Hey, Integra." I was sitting in the blonde's office, reading through reports that had come in about vampire attacks.

"Yes? What is it, Ann?"

"Do you guys have a secondary location?"

"A what?" Integra looked up from the papers on her desk. I laid my own down.

"A secondary location. A Rendevous, if you get separated, or a backup location in the event this one is taken over or taken out."

"We have a meeting hall in London."

I groaned and rolled my eyes, letting my head fall back. "I mean outside of that." I sat up and tossed the papers onto the table so I could lean my arms on my legs. "You don't have any other location that could be used as a support location or second base in the event that either of those locations fall?"

"Why would we?" Integra laid her arms on her desk. "Hellsing Manor is a fortress, guarded by soldiers armed to the teeth. Additionally, we have Alucard and now Seras Victoria here. Anyone would foolish enough to attack this place would be coming to their death."

"Wow. I cannot believe what I'm hearing." Integra lifted her head slightly when I stood. "You are so arrogant as to think that you're impenetrable, are you? Very well." I turned on my heel.

"Where are you going?" Integra called after me.

"I'm taking a squad to scout out potential secondary base locations. If you have an issue with that, try to stop me." I never broke my stride as I made my way out the door. Integra said nothing, even after I closed the door.

"Well, that's that." I went to my room and changed into my uniform. I had given the fitter a few notes on what I wanted, and he had exceeded my expectations.

The pants were cargo and made of a tough canvas weave, like the men's, but had a lining that made them softer to wear; in total, I had over seven pockets scattered around the pants, including some inner ones, filled with random stuff: extra magazines, knives, tourniquets, medkits, and a few other miscellaneous items. I wore a skin-tight, light cotton undershirt under the heavier armor to minimize chafing. Like the men, I wore a bulletproof vest, but I had a little extra protection going for me. In addition to the uniform, I had requested a long coat to help coverup the uniform should I be seen in public. The fitter had done phenomenally well: ankle length with a high collar, the long sleeve black coat was a dense fiber weave with kevlar sewn into the torso and numerous buckles and belts lacing up the front. The belts were more for show than anything, but they helped in the intimidation factor. For gloves I wore reinforced woven gloves that were fingerless, allowing me unrestricted access to the pockets and belts. The boots were the same as the men's: mid-calf, black, and laced. For holsters, I had the standard hip holsters, but I also had underarm holsters, hidden by the jacket, and leg holsters, held up by a smaller belt laced into the belt loops of my pants under my heavier duty belt.

"Come on boys." I clipped leashes onto Texas' and Titus' collars before attaching the other end of the leads to my belt. The leashes had clips on both ends, one for the collars, and one for the rings on my pants. I had one on either side so I could keep control of both dogs without sacrificing control of my weapons.

"Captain." The blonde turned to me. "Gather a squad and meet me out front," I ordered as I holstered the Beretta M9 at my side.

"Where are we going?" The Captain asked as we walked out front. The squad, six men in total, were waiting by the Humvee.

"We're scouting locations to decide if they will serve as viable secondary bases or Rendevous."

"Why? Does Sir Integra anticipate something happening?"

"No." I ground out as the Humvee started to drive away. "That's exactly why we are doing this: because she doesn't think it's necessary. I am not about to let her arrogance and overconfidence in Alucard's abilities get me killed."

"Ma'am!" I turned when a soldier called out to me. We were scouting an abandoned mansion in the countryside. From the heart of London, it was a good three-hour drive, if following the speed limit. It had fallen into disarray after the bank foreclosed on it, and no one had bothered with the upkeep. The bones of the mansion were still good though, so all it really needed was some basic TLC.

"Yes?"

"Ma'am!" The soldier saluted. "Hellsing Manor didn't check in, ma'am!"

"What?!" The Captain shouted.

_'So it's already over.'_ "Have you tried moving the transmitter? Maybe it can't read the signal through the trees."

"It's not the transmitter, ma'am." The soldier dropped his arm. His gaze was somber. "We can still receive and transmit perfectly fine. But the manor is not responding."

"I see."

"Miss we need to return."

"Hold on." I looked up at the defunct mansion, imagining the carnage that was going on inside Hellsing. "Let's think about this."

"Think about what?"

"If Hellsing isn't responding, that could mean any number of things. They could simply have had some mice chew through the wires, or something could be seriously wrong. In the event of the former, they'll respond as soon as they repair the damage. In the event of the latter, we'd be running in blind." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the men glance at each other.

"So what do you suggest, ma'am?" The Captain asked.

"Let's finish scouting this mansion. That'll give them another thirty minutes to get the communications back up and running if it is indeed a simple malfunction."

"And if it's not?"

"If it's not we're still an hour drive from the mansion, even if we floor it the whole way. By the time we get there, even if we left now, it could very well be too late." I smirked to myself. "Besides, if Alucard is really as amazing as Integra seems to think he is, then we'll just be in his way."

"Very well." The Captain turned to the soldier. "Go back to the transmitter. Call if anything changes."

"Sir!" The soldier saluted before running off.

The Captain joined me at my side. "Do you think something is wrong?" he asked as we walked up to the mansion. Texas and Titus walked alongside us, sniffing what they could within the length of their leads.

"I don't know." I shrugged, playing it off. "If something really is wrong, then we're too far away to be of any help. Besides the fact that your check-ins are set up too far apart for us to be of any help anyways."

"What do you mean?"

"Your check-ins are set up at four-hour intervals. If something was to go wrong directly after one, we wouldn't know until something like this happened: they failed to check in. Given the fact that we're an hour drive from the mansion, even if we hurry, something very well could have happened and been over with for, at the very least, three hours." I sighed, tilting my head so my ear practically rested on my shoulder as I looked up at the Captain. "Regardless of whether or not something is actually wrong, it's too late and we're too far away to do anything about it, so we might as well finish up here and then head back."

"I see." The Captain walked with me as we made our way through the cobweb-filled foyer. "You make some good points." He started. "Don't, tell Sir Integra I said that, please."

"I'll say it, but I'll take full responsibility for it." I knocked on the walls, testing the soundness of them. "Integra thinks like a child who has a toy. She sends it out when she wants to, and calls it back on a whim. She doesn't think like a commander or a soldier. She puts far too much emphasis on Alucard's abilities and not enough on the abilities of her enemies. Sooner or later, the ramifications of such an arrogance will catch up with her."

It was two mornings after the attack on Hellsing Manor. I sat on Integra's desk in her office. Integra sat behind her desk, while Walter stood in front of us. He was giving the damage report.

"Out of the ninety-six members of the Hellsing Organizations Headquarters in London, only ten are left, eight of which are only alive because they were away at the time of the attack." I felt the eyes of the others shift to me, but I said nothing. "Excluding them, the only survivors from this ordeal are myself, and you, Sir Integra."

"What about Seras and Alucard? Aren't you forgetting about them?"

"I didn't include them because they're already dead, sir."

"Yes, of course." Integra sighed. When she lifted a cigar, I hopped off the desk and walked over to stand in the shadows by the bookcases. "Any word on Millenium?"

"We solicited the resources of the British Intelligence Service, as well as the National Public Saftey Commission. We went so far as to rummage through the unsorted book stacks at the British Museum. Internationally, we discovered seven occult and military enthusiast organizations throughout Japan, France, and the United States, including a _Star Wars_ related club in Los Angeles."

"Star Wars?"

"The Millenium Falcon," I spoke up. Everyone turned to me. My cheeks flushed reflexively. "I- it's Han Solo's ship."

Integra let out a scoff as she leaned back into her chair. "So what you're telling me is that we have no solid leads at all."

"My apologies, Ma'am. At this point, the only thing we know, is its definition: a span of one thousand years."

"Now _that_ is something." I quirked an eyebrow at Integra's change in tone.

"Yes?" Walter mused.

Integra stood up. "Don't you remember, Walter: The Empire of the Millenium. The order that sought the glory of a thousand-year kingdom and plunged the entire planet, into a world war." Integra lit her cigar. "Hitler's Germany, the Millenium Order of the Third Reich."

"Your orders, Sir Integra?" Walter stood at attention.

"First and foremost we need to rebolster our defenses. I need you to find men suitable to the task, Walter."

"As you wish, Sir Integra." Walter bowed and left the room.

"What are you still doing here?" Integra asked after a few minutes. I pushed off the bookcase, walking over to the opposite side of her chair.

"What's going through your head, Integra?"

"About what?"

"About what I said to you before I left that day." I glanced at her. "Still think I'm being ridiculous?"

"I never said that."

"You thought it, and I don't need to be a vampire to know that."

Integra took the cigar out of her mouth. She sighed heavily but thankfully didn't exhale any smoke. She didn't say anything for a while. I didn't push her.

"This attack has shown me that the enemy is far more advanced than I thought. It is only because of Alucard, Seras, and Walter that we won, but at a cost I never thought we'd pay. I lost all but seven men that day." In the garden below, those seven men, the men that had come with me to scout the mansions, were playing with Texas and Titus. The Lab was fetching sticks while the German Shepherd was roughhousing with some of the men.

"So?"

"So I want to know what you found." Integra turned to face me. "Did you find somewhere that could serve as a suitable secondary base?"

"With a bit of TLC and proper oversight, yes."

"Good. Then these are your orders." Integra's gaze hardened. "As soon as we have enough men, they will work on rotating shifts. Some will work and train here, while others will work with you to build up this new location. I leave it completely under your command."

"Really?" I tilted my head. "Why?"

"As much as I hate to admit it, you have demonstrated more of a propensity for strategy than I. If I had perhaps listened to you earlier, then things might have turned out differently." Integra's eyes softened from the stare of a commander to someone begging for help. "Do what you have to. I will give you all the men and technology you need."

"Perfect," I smirked widely. "Cause I've got some _great_ ideas that I can't _wait_ to implement." Integra matched my smirk.

"I can't wait to see what you come up with, Commander."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Episode(s) Used: Episode 2: "Hellsing II"


	5. Chapter 4

"So, who's all here?" I looked up from my list to look over the men. Five of the original seven that had come with me had shown up today. "Michael."

"Here."

"John."

"Here."

"Jack."

"Here."

"Mason."

"Here."

"Mark."

"Here."

"Great. So today, we're working on analysis and little side projects." I tucked the clipboard under my arm. "Before we start moving shit or trying to replace anything, I want to know exactly what I'm dealing with. I don't want to start working on a stairway that doesn't need to be fixed while the roof is almost collapsing, alright?"

The men saluted. "Yessir!"

"Great. Keep your radios on you at all times and report if you find anything immediately serious. Otherwise, take notes on your clipboards and report back in six hours. I want y'all to take your time with this." I started handing out clipboards to the men. "Mason and Mark, you two will take the back walls. I want to know exactly how much is stable and how much we need to look at replacing."

"Sir!" The two turned to their left and took off at a brisk walk.

"John and Jack, take the west wing, upper and lower. Stay together, and take your time. You have six hours, remember."

"Right!" The two saluted before heading into the house.

"Michael, you're with me. We're going east."

"Following you, Commander." I smirked at the man as we too entered the house. Jack and John were already in the west parlor, so Michael and I decided to go up to the top floor to see if we could access the roof and then work our way down. When we had originally scouted the house, we had canvased the front foyer and sitting rooms fairly well, so I had opted to leave those off of the "To-Do List."

It had been three days since we had found the mansion. Using my last paycheck and an advancement on my next, I had bought it from the bank. It seemed the bank had retained possession of it so long that they had forgotten they even had it, so I was able to purchase the mansion and the surrounding land for what was essentially pennies. Now, the men and I were back and beginning the survey of the house, so we knew exactly how much work we had to do.

"How are your kids, Michael?" I asked as we climbed up the cobweb-filled stairs. I made sure to shine my flashlight everywhere I could; the arachnophobe in me was currently cursing me out for going to the attic.

"Doing really well, thanks for asking Commander. I'm headed home to see them tonight."

"Give them my best wishes." I pushed open a window. The gravel road below me was a good thirty feet down.

"I will." Michael smiled warmly before he muscled the attic access panel open. "There we go." I smirked, thinking about my crew as I climbed the ladder.

Michael, the Captain, was thirty-seven, brunette, six-foot-three, and a father of two. His wife had died the previous summer of leukemia, so his sister was caring for his sons while he worked for Hellsing. John, the Lieutenant, was twenty-six, blonde, and engaged; apparently, he and his fianceé had been childhood sweethearts. Jack, the Second Lieutenant, was twenty-three, blonde, and John's brother. Mason and Mark were the officers that had come with us today. Twins at the age of twenty-seven, you couldn't tell them apart; the only physical difference between the two was Mason had blue eyes, whereas Mark had brown.

"Well, I do not see any immediate issues," I muttered as I shone my flashlight over the roof shingles. "Not a lot of water damage either, which is surprising considering how long this house was left vacant."

"Some missing shingles over here." I turned to see Michael had found a small gap in the roof. "Looks like something's been climbing through it."

I took the fur scraps he handed to me. "Raccoon or possum, from the looks of it. Probably still in here."

"Don't tell me that." Michael deadpanned. "I hate raccoons."

"Suck it up, buttercup. I'm up here in this attic and I'm arachnophobic."

Michael froze, blinking at me incredulously. "Wait, seriously?"

"Yeah." I shuddered involuntarily. "I don't do spiders."

"What would you do if I pranked you with one?"

"Short your sheets, bleach your uniform, and trade out your ammunition for duds." I didn't even hesitate to respond. A glance at Michael showed he had paled significantly.

"Your tone says you're not kidding."

"Your analysis of my tone is correct. I'm not." I flashed him a warning look. "I get along with Alucard for a reason, Michael. I may not handle blood well, but that doesn't stop me from having a serious dark side."

He whistled softly. "Good to know. Note to self, remind the men to not prank you with spiders."

"Very good idea." I knocked on some of the beams, testing their integrity. "The easiest way for me to suspend my morals and humanity is when someone tests my fears. So for your sake, don't."

"How goes it?" Integra asked as she passed me the salt. We were sitting in the dining room of Hellsing Manor. Integra had invited me to join her for a snack so I could update her on our progress. It had been three weeks since I had first bought the property. The men and I had been staying at the manor as of a week after the purchase, so the only times I was back at Hellsing now was to give Integra my weekly report.

"We finished the bedrooms and bathrooms the men and I are staying in and using, as well as the kitchen, the servant's kitchen, the main front room, the roof, the back wall, the attic, the chimneys, and the front stairway. Currently, we're working on the remaining bedrooms, the offices, and the servant's rooms in the attic. There is a lower level, but we have yet been able to access it."

"Why?"

"It has this huge ass door blocking it." I sipped the wine. "Bigger than the door to your dungeons, actually. It's solid mahogany too. I'd rather not destroy it, so at current we're trying any and all keys we may find. If we can't find the key, we'll have to take it off its hinges. That won't be easy, though; the thing will weigh an easy five hundred pounds."

"So almost two hundred and thirty kilograms." Integra mused over her soup. "If you'd like, you could procure Seras or Alucard for such a task."

"And what task would this be?" Both of us looked up to see Alucard had materialized in the room. "Whatever it is, I'm sure I could handle it."

"Thanks for the offer Integra." I ignored the vampire. "But we can handle it. Besides, we're not anywhere close to being able to deal with it yet, so it's a moot issue at this point."

"If you're certain. Feel free to approach the subject again once you get closer."

"I will thank you." I chewed on a piece of bacon. "Is there something you needed, Alucard?"

"I wanted to ask you a question about your dogs." That got my attention. I immediately made eye contact with the vampire. "No, I have not harmed them."

"Good." For once, I wasn't mad he had read my mind. "So, what is it you wanted to know?"

"Is it normal for them to come over to strangers and lay on them?"

I blinked several times at the vampire, trying to figure out what he meant, before a sly grin spread across my face. I leaned back in my chair, crossed my legs, rested my elbows on the armrests, and interlaced my fingers. "Which strangers are you referring to?"

"Myself."

"And what were you doing when they did this?"

"I was in the library reading. The yellow one came over and laid his head on my leg."

"What did you do?"

"I moved him off, but he kept coming back." Alucard's eyebrow twitched in annoyance. "He even huffed at me."

I couldn't stop myself. I burst out laughing, folding over in the chair. "Ah-Alucard," I gasped, trying to regain control of myself. "It means he wanted you to pet him."

"He... what?" Alucard's response sent me for another round. I must have looked insane: head thrown back, silent laughter racking my body, tears streaming from my eyes.

"It means..." I finally said once I could talk again. "It means that he likes you and that he wanted you to pet him. Let me guess, he laid on your feet when you didn't pet him and fell asleep?"

"Yes. Exactly." Alucard's eyebrow kept twitching. "He got fur all over my clothes."

"Lint roller will fix that." I snickered, standing.

Integra stood as well, clearly fighting the urge to laugh. "I'd like to officially meet your dogs if you don't mind. I haven't been able to spend much time with them."

"Not a problem! I was just about to go find them myself." I smiled at Integra as we exited the room. Alucard followed behind us. "Mama missed her babies, even though it's only been a few hours."

"Mama?" Integra lifted an eyebrow at me.

I shrugged. "I've never had kids, but I've raised these two since they were puppies. Texas, the Lab, we've had since he was six weeks old. We got Titus, the German Shepherd, when he was around eight months."

"You don't know how old he was?"

I shook my head in answer to Alucard's question. "We adopted him from a shelter, whereas Texas we bought from a breeder."

"I see. Was Titus born at the shelter?" Integra seemed very interested.

"No, he wasn't." I felt the all-too-familiar anger well up inside me. "He was rescued. When the shelter found him, he was starving to death on the side of the road. They took him in and started nursing him back to health. We got him about two months after they had rescued him; on Halloween, actually."

"What was wrong with him?" Alucard seemed more interested now. Perhaps he could sense or read my emotions.

"Nothing. He was abused and abandoned." I growled as we descended the stairs. "The shelter didn't say what the circumstances were, but it didn't take a genius to figure out what happened to him." I shrugged, pushing open the door to the backyard.

"What do you believe happened?" Integra kept pace with me.

"He was born into a puppy mill, one most likely breeding them for police dogs. They tried to make him mean by beating him. He was terrified of the dark, petrified of crates, and would cower, pee, and or run away any time you started lifting your hand, whether or not you were holding anything." I knew that even Integra could see the anger in my eyes. "There's a divot in his spine from where someone hit him so hard that it broke his back. It's only by the grace of God that he isn't paralyzed."

"Intriguing." I glanced back at Alucard. He was smirking widely. "I've never known you to harbor such thoughts before."

I chuckled, knowing exactly what he was referring to. "All I'm saying is that if I ever found the sick bastards that beat my baby, I'd certainly know enough countermeasures to ensure the bodies would never be found. Bastards like that don't deserve a proper burial."

"I never would have known he was abused." Integra mused as we rounded the corner. There, we saw Titus roughhousing with some of the men while Texas napped in the shade. "He is so friendly."

"That's why he was beaten. He didn't have a mean bone in his body. Additionally, Shepherd's ears usually go up, but sometimes they don't. Sometimes they just don't, but most of the time, it's due to a lack of proper nutrition. Between his lack of ability to be mean and then his ears staying floppy, the bastards just dumped him to die. He was probably on his own for at least a month." I crossed my arms, my fingernails digging into my biceps at the thought of my dog starving to death.

"How long did you have to work with him before he realized he was safe?" Alucard was on my left now, hiding in the shade.

"It took him eighteen months before he started coming out of his shell." I sighed, my heart aching as it always did. "It took him another year before he started acting like a puppy. He's four now, and he is just now going through what I call the six-month phase. He's just now learning how to ask for attention. He still has moments, though."

"What do you mean?" Integra asked. 

"There are times when, if I raise my voice or my tone gets a little sharp, he'll cower and sometimes still pee himself in fear." I grimaced. "I try not to do it unless he's about to get into something that he shouldn't, like rat poison, because I hate it when I have to bring up those scars again." Hearing my voice, Texas shot up from the grass, his tail wagging excitedly when he saw me. Titus stopped playing with the men to bound over to me.

"Oof!!" I grunted when Titus rammed into my legs, almost knocking me over. Texas started whining and jumping all over me, trying to lick my face, while Titus just wormed himself in between my legs. "Hello, my darlings! Are you having fun?" I could feel Alucard's eyes on me, but I didn't care.

"They are so sweet," Integra murmured when Texas came over to sniff and lick her hands. I smiled gently, rubbing Titus' back.

"They really are." I kissed Titus' head. "I'm just happy I was able to heal this little one's wounds, even if some of his scars still remain."

"What do you mean?" Alucard asked. To my surprise, he kneeled down, allowing Titus to sniff him. The German Shepherd sniffed his body all over, starting with his hand, moving to his legs, before up his chest and to his face. The vampire allowed it, even petting the dog.

I watched as Alucard's shoulders relaxed, a soft light overtaking his crimson eyes. They blinked multiple times in surprise when Titus nuzzled his head under the vampire's hand, asking for more pets. Alucard looked up at me, seemingly for permission. I nodded, leaning down to pick up Texas. The Lab snuggled into my neck, heaved a very heavy sigh, and fell asleep.

"Trauma victims will always carry a scar with them from their past," I answered Alucard's previous question. "It's just a question of how well those scars heal, and that is dictated by how much love and support they are given by their friends and family."

"Woah Woah Woah!! Watch it!!" I dove out of the way just as a beam crashed to the ground. The ten-foot-long redwood beam landed with an echoing "THUD," kicking up a massive amount of dust.

"Commander!" Michael's head popped over the hole, his brown eyes wide with worry. "Are you alright!?"

"Yeah!" I yelled up, coughing as I brushed off my arms and chest. "What the hell happened?"

"The shingles came loose!" Jack yelled down. "I caught myself but landed hard on the beam. Is everything okay!?"

"Yeah! Y'all get off the roof; we're done up there for the day!" I called, craning my neck back to look up at the ceiling as the men clambered down outside. A massive twenty-foot-long hold had been torn in the ceiling. "Well, that's a problem."

"I'll say, unless you're planning on including a sunlight."

"GOOD LORD ALMIGHTY!!" I swore I jumped ten feet in the air. While in the air, I grabbed my gun and turned around. By the time I landed, I could see and hear Alucard bent over with laughter. "I swear to everything holy in this world that if you do that again, I will blow your fucking head off you damned corpse!"

"You almost got shot, man." I looked behind me to see John, Mason, and Mark had run in with their weapons drawn, no doubt in response to my shout. "We all know better than to sneak up on Commander."

"As you were men." I sighed, running a hand over my head. "I can handle the fucker."

"Yessir!" The men saluted and returned to their work. John had been working in the kitchen on repairing the leaks in the windows, and the twins were spotting Michael and Jack while they were up on the roof.

"My apologies, little star," Alucard purred once the men had gone. "I did not mean to scare you."

"Sure you didn't." I reholstered my Beretta. "What are you doing here?"

"Integra told me to come check on you."

"Did she really? Why you?"

"I like to occasionally get out, and she trusts me to return." Alucard's crimson eyes raked over my form. "Though it appears that you've been having more fun than work."

"Oh, shut up. It's been 90 degrees in the attic." I untied the arms of my jumpsuit and slipped them back on. I had taken unzipped the jumpsuit while working in the attic due to it being incredibly stuffy and hot, essentially leaving me in just pants, boots, and a sports bra. "Well, since you're here, you might as well be useful. Come on." I picked up a flashlight as I passed, tossing it up and down as I walked down the stairs. The heavy footsteps behind me told me Alucard was following.

"Where are we going?"

"Remember that door I was telling Integra about two weeks ago? Well, after clearing all of the debris from the rooms, we couldn't find a key that fit the door down here, so we've just left it till last."

"I see. So what would you like me to do?" I turned on the lights for the basement hallway. It the hall all the way down to where it finally ended with a massive mahogany double door.

"Think you can take it off its hinges without ripping the wall out?" I gestured to the iron hinges on either side of the dual-swinging doors.

"Certainly." Alucard stepped around me, lifting his hands. With one, he supported one of the doors while he used the other to lift the pegs out of the hinges. I stepped back to the wall, watching as the vampire lifted the door with no effort and rested it against the opposite wall. He repeated the process with the other door, leaning them against each other. "There you are, Commander."

"Well, you certainly made that easy." I laughed softly. "How good is your night sight?"

"Very good."

"Good. You first." I reached down, pulling my radio out of my pocket. "Charlie One to Charlie Two, over."

"Charlie Two."

"I'm taking the vamp down into the basement. If you don't hear from us in two hours, send a team."

"10-4."

"Ready?" I unholstered my Beretta. I held my flashlight in my left hand and held it parallel across my body. I braced my right hand with my left forearm so that the flashlight was held on the right side of the gun with both the light and the barrel pointed directly in front of me.

"After you, little star," Alucard smirked down at me.

I rolled my eyes, lifting my gun to shoulder height so I could keep the sights level with my eyes if the need arose. With careful, calculated steps, Alucard and I descended into the basement.

The air was damp and cold. It hadn't been vented since before the house was abandoned if the scent of mildew and mold was anything to go by. It appeared to be constructed of concrete blocks. There were archways all along the right side spaced out at regular intervals. The left wall had sconces for torches that had since been removed.

"May I ask you a question, little star?" Alucard's voice was soft in the quiet, having no need to raise his voice to be heard over background noise.

"You may ask," I responded as I swept my light over the first archway. _'Wine cellar. Looks like there might be some good wine down here, depending on how sealed those barrels are.'_

"Who hurt you?"

"You're going to have to be a little more specific, Alucard." I chuckled wryly. "I"m a martial artist. I've been hurt quite a bit over the course of my training."

"You mentioned trauma victims always carrying a scar due to their past, but they could be healed if given proper love and support."

"So?"

"The way you said it could have been construed as someone who was just sympathetic or dealt with a trauma victim, outside of your dog."

"I hear a "however" in your voice." I checked the third archway. _'Empty too.'_

"Your emotions said that it was more personal than that." Something in Alucard's tone made me stop and look at him. Sometime before, he had taken his glasses off. In the silence and solitude of the basement, I was painfully aware that it was just the two of us. With only the flashlight as our light, and his eyes unobstructed, I could see that Alucard was for once being serious.

"You don't have to tell me anything you don't wish to, little star." Alucard reached out to tuck some stray strands of hair behind my ear. His fingertips trailed down my jawline as he retracted his hand. "But you said what you said with more conviction than the average sympathizer or healer."

I sighed heavily, searching Alucard's eyes. After a few moments, I kept walking. I waited until I heard Alucard walking beside me again before talking. "I've been hurt before, yes. I've had my trust betrayed in some of the worst ways by the one I considered my best friend. I've been manipulated, used, and abused, so yes: I know what trauma is like and the scars it leaves on a person.

"It's why I react the way I do when you sneak up behind me. It's why I always have my back to something solid. It's why I have people staggered so I can see them out of my peripheral when we're doing drills. It's why I have trust issues."

"It's why you're not used to kindness without ulterior motives." Alucard voiced softly.

"Yes." I sighed after checking the final archway. It was another wine cellar. "Everyone has always wanted something from me. My father's money, mostly." I turned on the vampire, crossing my arms. "So what do you want from me, Alucard? My virgin blood?" His eyes widened. "What, didn't think I'd figure it out? It wasn't hard."

"How?" Alucard appeared to be more impressed than put off.

"Integra told me that only a virgin could be turned into a vampire if they are bitten by a vampire of the opposite sex. You started hanging around a lot more often after that first night we talked in the library. You do have a code of honor, and I guarantee my dogs would've done something if you had tried taking advantage of me while I slept, but you've been very interested in me since. The fact that you're always glancing at my neck is a dead giveaway too."

"I didn't think I was that obvious."

"You weren't." I clicked my tongue in annoyance. "You learn to recognize the signs when you're a trauma victim. So what was your point in getting me to tell you all of that? Build sympathy? Let me let you closer so that I would feel at ease around you until you seduced me into giving you my blood?"

"No," Alucard smirked. He leaned down to my height, so he was eye-level with me. "Deliberate consent always makes the blood sweeter."

"So, what was your intention?"

"I disliked how your pain tainted the scent of your blood. I wished to know the cause, so I could aid in doing what I could to alleviate it."

"To what purpose? I'm not giving you my blood."

Alucard chuckled. I watched as he leaned forward. My hand tightened around my Beretta, but I stopped when he lightly touched my wrist with his fingertips.

"Contrary to what you might think, little star..." Alucard nuzzled my head. "I do not need to feed off you."

"So why the interest?"

"Because you were in pain. And contrary to what you might think of me..." I gasped softly when Alucard's lips brushed my cheek. "I do possess the ability to care. I just choose to show it differently."

"Ow!" I yelped when he flicked my nose. "Sadist." I griped from behind my hand. Alucard chuckled, the sound echoing over the cobblestones.

"You love me for it."

"I tolerate you." I flicked his ear, sticking my tongue out at him as I passed. "Don't ever mistake my tolerance for affection."

"Duly noted, little star. Duly noted."

"That's not a bad idea." I mused as we walked back to the door.

"What is?"

"The sunlight. It's not a bad idea to put on in. The hole is already there." I smirked up at the vampire. "Feel like a little bit of physical work tonight?"

"Integra has left me at your disposal until you return to Hellsing Manor." Alucard smirked down at me.

"Perfection." I snickered. "We'll be able to bang out a lot of the physical work tonight if you're up for it."

"It sounds like you're doubting me, little star." Alucard teased.

"Perhaps." I smirked up at the vampire as we ascended the stairs. "Up for the challenge?"

Alucard returned the smirk. "Always."


	6. Chapter 5

"Alright, guys! We just have to finish clearing the debris from this garden and we can call it a day." I shouted at the men.

"Yessir!" Four of them staggered themselves on either side of the fallen branch. Each placed a shoulder under the branch and, on the count of three, lifted it up off the ground. I stepped aside to allow them by.

It had been two months since Integra had given me full control of the mansion I had found. My team of five men were still working and now living with me. These five were a part of the original seven that had come with me, and we were getting along very well. Titus and Texas had taken to them as well, and I had to admit, for the first time since arriving in this mess, that perhaps it was a good thing they had been transported with me. The two pups had proven to be an effective therapy for the men, keeping their spirits high and providing a good stress relief.

In the last two months, we had completely renovated the home and most of the grounds. Starting with clearing out all of the debris, cobwebs, and broken furniture, we worked in a prioritized manner. First, we worked on any and all structural issues as well as repairing the roof and chimneys. After those were done, we cleared and renovated the kitchen and at first three bedrooms and their adjoining bathrooms: one for the men, one for me, and one to set up a temporary tech room. From there we worked our way out in order of priority: the remaining bedrooms, bathrooms, and servant's kitchen, followed by the old offices. After that, we worked on the old parlors, sitting rooms, the other "living" rooms, and the basement. Within two weeks we had cleared and cleaned all of the rooms, after which we split the team into two: two to three of us would work on redecorating (paint, carpet, light fixtures, furniture, etcetera, etcetera.) and the others would work outside. The outside team took priority, so often times it was only two of us working on the inside while four worked on the outside.

On the inside, we worked on rewiring everything. Since we were putting in new lighting, we also worked on bolstering the breakers so that we wouldn't overload them with the equipment we were putting in and installing security systems that would detect incoming enemies. After what happened at Hellsing Manor, I wasn't about to take the chance the same thing was going to happen here. Every room that was lived in had a hidden emergency override that only the occupant knew about so if they saw something or were attacked in the middle of the night, the whole house would be alerted.

The grounds were in some ways more difficult to work on. Weeds had overtaken the entire fifty acres, so the first part of the renovations was just clearing out all of the overgrown plants and weeds. Once that was done, we set to clearing out shooting ranges, mazes, training platforms, mazes, helicopter pads, and installing security measures. We brought in more men for that; Integra had been kind enough to lend us more men for clearing and building the helicopter pads, the training buildings, and the security measures, so it was done in a matter of two weeks. Now that we had finished that, we were working on the smaller aesthetic things: flower gardens, meditation gardens, and trimming.

In other words, we were decorating. I let the men decorate the rooms they had chosen to stay in as they saw fit. Michael had his sons move in with him, so the boys could spend more time with their father. Mason and Mark had moved into their own individual rooms that had a connecting Jack-and-Jill bathroom. John had gotten married two weeks before and was still on his honeymoon, but after he returned he and his new wife would be moving into the corner room that John had chosen when we first finished up the house. Jack was completely revamping his room from old-fashioned to gothic; it turned out he was a major metalhead, so we were getting along very well.

As for my room, I had completely revamped it from the old master bedroom with old-timey wallpaper and a curtained four-poster bed to something a bit more modern: repainted and redecorated the walls, king-sized bed with red-and-black lumberjack plaid comforter and fluffy pillows, sherpa rug in the middle of the hardwood floor, and had replaced the old chairs in the sitting area with another sherpa rug, a glass coffee table, and a wrap-around couch set at an angle so that I could look out over the driveway and front gardens and see the door for the room as well. My dogs slept on the rug under the table or in front of the fireplace. It had been warm enough lately that I hadn't had to use it, but it was certainly nice on the nights when it got below freezing.

"Commander." I looked up to see Michael approaching me. "I have Sir Walter on the line." I took the radio, walking a few yards away so as to minimize noise.

"Eagle," I spoke into the radio. The device fizzled with static before Walter's voice came through.

_"Eagle, what is your location?"_

"Countryside. What can I do for you?" I let go of the button. So far, I had done a good job of keeping the location hidden from Walter and I intended to keep it that way. Integra and I had agreed that the mansion would function as my primary residence, but would also function as a secondary-base for Hellsing if the need arose, so there was no need to disclose the exact location.

_"The new help is arriving today. Sir Integra has asked for your presence."_

"Copy. On my way. Eagle out." I waited for the confirmation before walking back into the mansion. "Alright, boys! We've got fresh blood coming in and Integra wants us back."

"Right!" The men stood up, brushing themselves off as we all walked back to the Humvee. Texas and Titus jumped into the back with Jack and John. I climbed into the driver's seat, while Mark and Mason clambered onto the back of the truck. Michael was staying behind with his sons.

"Wonder what's the deal with this fresh blood coming in." John was playing with Texas as he spoke. 

"I'm curious to see who the new batch is too," I smirked at the men. "Ready to have some fun with the newbies, boys?"

"Yessir!"

I stood outside of the open door, hiding in the shadows of the hall. Inside the room, the "new blood", a mercenary group calling themselves the Wild Geese, were talking amongst themselves. I glanced at Integra, who was standing beside me. "Sounds like they're just like me."

"Good thing then that I've already had practice dealing with one American," Integra smirked at me.

I bowed overdramatically, draping an arm over my waist. "A pleasure to be of service to you, m'lady." Integra rolled her eyes, shaking her head good-naturedly before approaching the doorway just in time for us to hear one of the men start talking about the absurdity of killing monsters.

"It's true." Integra's voice cut through all other conversations. "The enemies are immortal creatures who sustain themselves by drinking human blood. Your job, gentlemen, is to fight these monsters with bullets, garlic, and holy water. Put a stake through its heart. Cut off its head. Burn the corpse, scatter the ashes at a crossroads." Her smirk only grew as she spoke. "For further instructions, consult Bram Stoker."

"That's just ridiculous."

"Everyone knows there's no such thing as vampires."

"I thought that too." I rounded the door, just like Integra and I had discussed. I leaned against the wall, propped a heel up on the wall and crossed my arms under my chest. "She was only semi-kidding about the whole Bram Stoker thing. Bullets, specifically bullets made of blessed silver from Catholic cathedrals or Christian churches, works much better than any wooden stake. As for garlic, it only makes them sneeze."

"You're kidding, right?" The man whom the others had called Captain Bernadette spoke up from his chair.

"For over a century the Hellsing Organization has served the British Empire, fighting a secret war against the forces of darkness, the vampire in particular." Integra was clearly having a lot of fun with this. "For those of you who still need convincing. I present to you, a genuine vampire." She pointed to the far end of the room, where Seras was leaning against the wall, previously unnoticed.

"Huh? Uh, oh no." Bernadette stood up and walked over to the blonde. "Just hold on. You, you are really a vampire?" From his tone, it was obvious he was trying to not burst out laughing.

"Yes, I am. Hello."

_'Poor girl.'_ I smirked softly in sympathy for Seras. She was clearly nervous, and Bernadette's stare didn't help much. Nor did the sudden laughter of the men.

"I get the feeling they're laughing at me, sir." Seras whimpered at Integra.

"Then show them something to make them stop, Police Girl." Integra deadpanned. I smirked confidently at the girl.

"Right, of course, sir!" She snapped her fingers. "Come on."

Bernadette burst out laughing. "If this is supposed to be a vampire, then I'm Frankenstein's monster!" He advanced on Seras, his hands out in a mockingly scary gesture.

His laughter abruptly stopped when Seras flicked him in the forehead.

"Ooh!" I winced, inhaling through my teeth. It was one thing to watch Bernadette get his ass whooped by a couple flicks through a screen. It was another thing to see it in person and have him flying right at you. Against my better judgment, I threw my head back and started laughing. "Some Frankenstein's monster you are!" I cackled, wiping away a few tears.

"I don't believe it. You're really telling me that girl is a vampire?" Bernadette groaned, blood streaming down his face.

"Damn right she is."

"Yipe!" I jumped off the wall just in time for lanky arms, clad in white gloves and red coat sleeves, to appear through it and wrap around my shoulders.

"The Police Girl may be the lowest of the low, but a vampire is still a vampire." Alucard continued phasing through the wall and talking like I wasn't even there. "What a pathetic bunch of sniveling cowards. Do you really think they'll be of any use to us?"

"Let me go," I growled up at Alucard, but he only tightened his grip, which only brought me closer to him as he phased completely through the wall. As if to further mock me, he rested his chin on my head just as Walter appeared.

"My deepest apologies, ma'am. I did _try_ to stop him."

"These men are going to be guarding me while I sleep. I wanted to take their measure."

"And coping a feel on _me_ is taking _their_ measure how?" I snipped at the vampire.

"It's not." He grinned down at me. "You left yourself open, little star."

"I was leaning against a goddamn solid wall, you fucking pervert." I deadpanned. "Excuse me for taking precautions against normal people." Alucard just laughed and rested more of his weight on me. _'You're fucking heavy.'_ Alucard snickered, letting me know he was indeed reading my mind, before heaving a sigh and resting more of his weight on me. Realizing he wasn't going to let me go anytime soon, I decided to return the favor and leaned my entire weigh on his chest. The prick didn't even move.

"What sort of letter?" I glanced over at Integra. Walter had just handed her an envelope. Her posture immediately became hostile. "From Vatican Special Operations Division Thirteen, the Iscariot Organization. Enrico Maxwell."

"Whew." I whistled as I looked up at the building. "This is impressive." We were at the British Art Museum, where the Iscariot Organization's leader had requested to meet Integra. She had brought Walter, obviously, along with myself, Alucard, and Seras.

"Everyone knows the plan?" Integra glanced back at us as she walked. Today, she had forgone the green pantsuit, instead opting for a dark grey skirt suit with matching hat and boots, a white collared shirt with her usual red bowtie held with her silver cross, and white gloves.

"Walter and Alucard are to go with you to meet with Maxwell." I tucked my hair behind my ear. "Seras and I stay within earshot to diffuse any situation in the event things get hostile."

"Precisely." Integra pushed her glasses up. "Let's go then." We all walked into the museum, splitting off.

"You look really good today, Miss." Seras had fallen into character quite well. Whilst we were in the museum, we were masquerading as a young lady and her handmaiden. Seras was wearing a uniform to suit: a long black skirt, white long sleeve collared shirt, white gloves, and a black vest. Her hair was brushed and held back with a light blue bow. She held Texas' leash in her right hand.

"Thank you." I glanced down at the outfit Integra had let me borrow.

It was a skirt suit, similar to Integra's; mine, however, was a grey tweed pattern. The shirt I was wearing under the grey tweed blazer was a light lavender in color and collared; I wore no tie (per my decision), instead wearing a muted burgundy vest. I wore a tweed burgundy scarf over the ensemble. My boots were black suede. I had opted against gloves so I could freely wear a golden ring with diamonds on my left hand and a delicate golden chain on my right; I wore a matching necklace and earrings. Under my blazer were my underarm holsters. In my right hand I held a simple light oak cane, and in my left hand was Titus' leash. I had decided to curl my hair that morning, letting the loose curls bounce around my shoulders as we walked, and paired it with simple makeup: mascara and red lipstick with a light dusting of blush.

We maintained a good distance from Integra and Walter, keeping them within eyesight but not close enough so it wasn't obvious that we were together. People around us parted ways for us sometimes, due to the dogs. Little kids would often ask to pet Texas, to which we let them as long as Walter and Integra were within eyesight.

It was about four hours into our tour of the museum that Seras stiffened. She flashed me the look I had hoped she wouldn't. _'Welp, here we go.'_ "Alright Seras, ready?"

"After you." We picked up our pace ever so slightly, walking to where Integra was supposed to meet Maxwell. It wasn't hard to figure out that something had gone wrong as soon as we got within earshot; Anderson's ranting was enough to tell us that.

"How is my accent, Seras?" Seras looked around, shock written on her face before she looked at me again. "I take it is proper, then?"

"I didn't recognize you." Seras laughed softly. "You sound like a true English noblewoman."

"I suppose spending time with Integra has rubbed off on me." I cleared my throat, calmed my breathing, straightened my back, and started walking towards the hallway. My pace was measured, and I ensured my posture was as straight as it could be. Seras slightly fell behind and to the right of me. Just as we rounded the corner, we heard a male shout

"Stop! I'm ordering you to stop!"

_'There's my cue.'_ "Take a good look, Sarah. These are the works of true masters." I made sure my voice was loud enough to carry through the hallway without it being improper.

"Yes, mistress," Seras replied. I kept my gaze on the paintings as we walked, keeping my gait slow but purposeful. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Alucard and Anderson facing off.

"Now see _this_ is a masterpiece." I stopped in front of a painting I actually really liked, knowing it would sell the act. "You can tell the artist felt a true connection with this work by the very strokes of the brush still to be seen within the paint."

Titus whined at me, prompting me to look down at him. "What is it, boy?" He turned his head to look at the group. I looked up and "saw" the group for the first time. "Oh my. Are we interrupting something?" To their credit, both Alucard and Anderson had sheathed their weapons prior to my glance.

"Oh no, not at all," Maxwell spoke up, hurriedly stepping in front of his subordinates. "Our apologies for disturbing you, my lady."

"Oh, it's no disturbance at all." I laughed lightly behind my hand, waving him off. "You'll forgive a simple lover of the arts for fawning. I simply can't help myself around such masterpieces."

"Completely understandable, my lady." Anderson had regained himself and walked over to me. He held his hand out. "As an apology for disrupting your interest, might you allow me to show you some of my favorites?" Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Alucard and the others stiffen, prepared for anything.

"It would hardly be proper of me to accept an invitation of someone who's name I do not know." I teased lightly.

"My deepest apologies, my lady." Anderson bowed with his hand over his heart. "I am Father Alexander Anderson, a simple servant of the Lord."

"Why, I might have known from your attire!" I smiled warmly at him. "I knew quite a few Catholic priests in my hometown. Very kind they were to my family. They took us in when we were decimated by the war." I placed my hand in his. "I am Miss Annaliese Spencer. This is my handmaiden, Sarah." Seras curtsied.

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Spencer." Anderson lifted my hand to his lips. "Now, right this way, if you would be so kind."

"I am in your hands, good Father." I handed my cane to Seras so I could take Titus' leash with my free hand. She took it wordlessly. Anderson and I made small talk as we walked away. Seras turned around briefly, no doubt to give a thumbs up to Walter. _'I say that went remarkably well.'_

"Thank you for a lovely tour, Father." I smiled up at Anderson. "I must say I thoroughly enjoyed myself."

"The pleasure was all mine, Miss Spencer. Being able to spend a day with a lovely maiden such as yourself is a blessing from God." Anderson kissed my hand again. "May I ask a forward question?"

"You may, though there is no guarantee I'll answer." I teased.

Anderson chuckled. "You seem to have quite a motherly disposition, and possess a fair amount of wealth, and yet you are unmarried. Why is this?"

"Ah, yes," I sighed, taking my hand back from Anderson to take my cane from Seras. "You are not the first to ask such a thing, Father." I looked up at the sky. It was growing dark.

"In truth, I do not yet know where God wishes to lead me. I live my life by His calling, and as of yet He has not called me to the path of housewife and motherhood." I chuckled softly, though it had more of a sardonic tone to it. "Truthfully I desire to be both a wife and a mother, but I also believe it is my ardent faith that has scared away many a potential suitor. The men I know are scared of a woman who knows more of the Bible than they, for when she knows what the Bible says, they cannot use it against her."

"This is true, my dear." Anderson smiled warmly; to my surprise, it seemed genuine. "Perhaps you might allow me to say one more thing before we part."

"Of course." I placed both of my hands on my cane. Titus sat next to me, his eyes never leaving Anderson's form.

"If you truly desire to be a mother yet find no suitor willing to take you as a wife, perhaps you would consider becoming a mother of many." I tilted my head in silent questioning. "I run an orphanage in Rome. While the young boys there flourish with scholarly and Biblical learning, they would do well to have a mother figure in their lives to teach them the gentler things of life, such as a calm respect and gentle order."

"I see," I smirked softly. "And you would make me that offer, even though I am what you would consider to be Protestant?"

Anderson nodded. "You have been a part of both churches, Protestant and Catholic. You have spoken of singing in the choir of Mass and being blessed by our priests. Though you do not currently ascribe to a Catholic church, I believe you to be one of us."

"I see." I smiled. "And this offer. Is it to be taken now or can it be revisited at a later time?"

"It is for you to decide, Miss Spencer." He bowed again. "The offer remains as you deem it fit, though I do hope you will consider it."

"I shall." I nodded my head in greeting. "Dominus tecum, Father. Safe travels."

"Et cum spiritu tuo, Miss Spencer. I pray our paths cross again."

_'Oh, they will. Just not in the way you expect.'_ I waited until he was out of sight before speaking. "Are you alright, Seras?"

With a sigh that was more groan, she sunk to the ground. "I thought my heart was going to beat out of my chest!" She pressed a hand to her chest. Texas started licking her face, making her laugh and get up. "I don't know how you weren't terrified of him!"

"Well for starters he never tried to kill me." I chuckled as I sat on a bench, waiting for the others to come out. Seras sat down beside me. "And for another, I'm just not scared of him."

"How?" Seras gaped at me. I smirked and chuckle, tilting my head to look at her.

"I don't know if you've noticed, but Alucard has become rather... touchy, lately."

"Now that you mention it..." Seras tilted her head up, tapping her chin. "Master has become rather affectionate towards you over the past few months."

"Oh, it's far from affection." I chuckled wryly. Seras tilted her head, letting out a slight hum of questioning. "He does it because it annoys the hell out of me."

"Ooohhh..." Seras drawled. "That makes more sense."

"Speak of the devil," I muttered as a shadow fell over the both of us. Seras and I tilted our heads back to look up at Alucard, who was smirking down at us. "Sounds like you had fun."

"Perhaps." We all turned to see Integra and Walter walking towards us. Seras and I stood up. "Thank you, Miss Spencer, for your interference earlier. Things might have gone much differently if you hadn't."

"No problem." I waved it off. "Happy to help." I turned to her, looking over her expressions. "Did you find out what they wanted?"

"Yes... I did."

"Well, that was eventful." I sighed, towel-drying my hair as I walked out of the bathroom. I had just gotten out of the shower and had changed into my nightgown. After the craziness of the day, I had decided to return to the manor I had bought in order to have some peace and quiet. Thankfully I had invested in a car earlier in the month, so I could drive myself home without needing Walter to drive me.

A figure out of the corner of my eye made me freeze before I groaned as I recognized the glint of the fire on fangs. "I was kind of kidding about the pervert comment earlier, but you're proving me right."

"Am I now?" Alucard chuckled. He turned the light on. He had discarded the hat and glasses on the table. He was lounging very casually on the couch, one arm draped over the back with the other placed on the armrest to support his weight. He had crossed his legs, left over right. I tried to not smirk at the sight of his foot languidly petting Texas.

This wasn't the first time Alucard had appeared randomly in my room at the mansion, and I knew it wouldn't be the last. Somehow he always knew when I was having an insomniac night so he'd often show up with a bottle of wine and a book from Hellsing's library. Other times he showed up because he was bored, but I never bothered to question him either way. It was comforting in a weird way, having someone there. I always fell asleep sooner when he was around, and when I woke up there was typically some kind of pastry or scone on the bedside table.

"How did you know it was me?"

I tossed the towel at him, hitting him in the face. "No one else excuses arrogance and pride like you." He started cackling, causing me to roll my eyes. "Of course you would take it as a compliment." I sighed heavily, sitting down on my bed to start combing through my hair. "So what do you want?"

"First, a question." He didn't even wait for me to say anything before continuing. "How much of what you told Father Anderson was a lie?"

"What? You didn't read my mind to find out?" I snipped.

Alucard shrugged, tossing the towel back into the bathroom. "I've learned things are much more satisfying when I hear them from your mouth. Plus you've mentioned it's rude."

"Or that you've gotten tired of constantly hearing raucous screaming and nonsensical gibbering." I chuckled when he grimaced. "Told you my mind isn't a nice place to be."

"You do that on purpose."

"Touché." I shrugged, leaning back to rest my weight on my hands. "It was more truth than lie." Alucard tilted his head.

"I went to a Catholic school for a couple of years, which is where I received most of my more advanced vocal training. My school choir sang for Mass once a month at the local mission; due to my being in a church choir since I was a child, I had many of the solo pieces that were within my vocal range. I was blessed by Catholic priests whenever they held services at my school and whenever we sang at the mission. Most of the priests were kind and treated me and my family with respect, even though we weren't Catholics."

"You did mention being a Protestant."

"So you were listening even then." I rolled my eyes. "Why am I not surprised?" I sighed, shaking my head. "Anyways, the part about my family being decimated by the war and the priests taking us in was a lie."

"And the name?"

"Annaliese is my full name, but I find it a mouthful so I just go by Ann."

"That's it?"

"Yup." I shrugged. "The most powerful lie is that which is ninety-nine percent truth."

"Indeed." Alucard chuckled.

"Now what was the second thing. I'm assuming that is the real reason you are here." I tossed my hair over my shoulder, crossing my legs.

"Ah yes, I almost forgot." Alucard leaned forward, placing his arms on his legs. "You remember what Sir Integra told us, correct?"

"About Nazi sympathizers being the true masterminds behind Millenium and that they're currently hiding out in South America? Yeah. What about it?"

"We, as in you, me, Seras, and the mercenaries, are going to South America incognito."

I felt my sense of unease grow along with Alucard's smirk. "Why do I get the feeling this "incognito" is going to be something unpleasant?"

"Only if you're averse to pretending to be my wife."

It took me a minute to process his words.

"Pretending to be your _WHAT_!?!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Episode(s) Used: Episode 3: "Hellsing III"
> 
> Dominus tecum: May the Lord be with you [Latin]
> 
> Et cum spiritu tuo: And with thy spirit. [Latin]


	7. Chapter 6

"Texas probably won't eat." I rubbed Texas' ears as I spoke. Walter was holding the leashes for both of my dogs. He and Integra had come to see us off. "He has separation anxiety, so he'll be really worried and constantly checking to see where I am."

"They'll both stay with me," Integra assured. Taking the leashes from Walter, Integra smiled at me. "Go have fun." I nodded, standing up and putting on my gloves.

"Come along, wifey," Alucard crooned as we walked to the plane. I stuck my tongue out at him, careful to not get my heels caught in the gaps of the steps. He extended his hand to me, acting the gentleman as he helped me up the steps.

"Wipe that smirk off your face, Fangface. Call me that one more time and you'll get a hole where that tongue is." I snipped as we ducked into the cabin.

"Ooh, feisty," Alucard tutted. "I like that in a woman."

I gave him a deadpan stare as I sat down on the couch. "You like women in general."

He threw his head back as he laughed, leaning his arm on the windowsill so he could prop his head up. "You've got me all figured out, haven't you, _wifey_?" He barely caught the knife I had thrown at him.

I smirked at the surprised look on his face. "I said you'd get a hole where that tongue was if you called me that again. I never said how that hole would get there."

Alucard let out a deep chuckle as he handed the knife back to me. "Impressive. I shall have to keep my guard up around you."

I tucked the knife back into the hidden sheath I had sewn into my jacket before shrugging the garment off. I laid it neatly over the armrest, brushing off my skirt as Bernadette came back into the cabin after placing our luggage in the storage hold. "There's a lot you don't know about me, _darling_." I teased, sticking my tongue out at him. Alucard just laughed.

"Alright lovebirds, we're taking off," Bernadette announced. "Can it."

"Aye aye, mon Capitaine." I saluted with a wink. I waited until the plane had reached cruising altitude before kicking off my heels, situating my legs on the couch, pulled a book out of my purse, and started to read.

"If I might say, Commander..." I glanced up from my book to lock gazes with Bernadette. We were about four hours into the fifteen-hour flight at this point. Alucard had just gotten up, which is probably why Bernadette had stopped reading the newspaper to talk to me. "That is quite the fetching outfit."

"You might say so," I responded.

The outfit was simple enough: a lowcut knee-length black dress with thick shoulder straps, paired with black semi-sheer tights, black heels, a black three-quarter sleeve blazer that had decorative buttons on either side of the clasps that actually held the blazer closed, and black leather gloves. The blazer was loose enough that I could easily hide my underarm holsters when wearing it. Currently, they were exposed, since I had taken the blazer off, but I didn't mind whilst we were in the plane. My hair was held back in a loose bun and a black sunhat with a white polka-dotted band around the crown of the hat. The hat sat on top of the blazer, while the black sunglasses I was wearing sat on top of my head. "A bit different from my usual uniform, hm?"

"Indeed," Bernadette smirked. "Though I can't decide which one I like you in better."

"I can." We both looked up fully when Alucard reentered the cabin. He handed me a glass of wine.

"Thank you, Alucard."

"You're welcome, little star." He sat down in his own seat.

"So?" Alucard turned his gaze to me. I quirked an eyebrow as I took a sip of wine. "Which outfit do you prefer?"

"Take a guess." He chuckled.

I rolled my eyes, returning my gaze to my book. "Anything I wear that allows you to see my neck."

Alucard fixed me with a slightly exasperated gaze but smirked nonetheless. "Very astute, little star."

"You're a vampire, darling." I teased, swirling the wine in the glass. "It doesn't take much to figure you out."

"Indeed." Alucard chuckled. He reached over to take my book from me, ignoring my squawk of indignation. " _Ender's Game_. Interesting."

"It's more interesting to read than look at," I griped. He handed the book back. Thankfully, he had placed a finger where I had been reading when he snatched the book; I remembered the page, but it still would have been irritating to flip back to it. "It was in the library." I sipped the wine as I returned to my reading.

"A vampire drinking wine in a private jet, flying to Rio de Jenario in broad daylight? The stories got everything wrong." I glanced at Bernadette to see him staring at Alucard over his newspaper. "Well, to be fair, maybe not everything."

I flipped a page. "I'm the only one drinking wine here, Capitaine." When Bernadette turned to look at me, eyes wide with horror, I just winked before returning my gaze to my book. Alucard just chuckled as he took a sip of the liquid in his glass.

"O-oh." Bernadette hunkered behind his newspaper. Alucard and I exchanged a glance before we both started laughing softly.

_'At least the company isn't unbearable. I'm just glad I brought enough books to read.'_

"You should be sleeping." I looked up from my book to see Alucard was staring at me. He had discarded his glasses, leaving his crimson eyes unobstructed. The rising sun behind him cast a soft yellow glow around his hair. It was about eight hours into our fifteen-hour flight. I had since changed into a pair of sweatpants and a sweater. Bernadette was asleep in the back cabin. Alucard and I were still up, though I wasn't surprised by that.

"Never could sleep on planes."

"Oh, so you've flown before?" Alucard stood up and crossed the cabin, sitting down next to me. I stuck a bookmark in between the pages, placed the book on the table beside me, and leaned back so I could meet the vampire's eyes.

"Multiple times. My family used to take a yearly trip up to British Columbia to go skiing."

"So your family is well off then."

"Some would say." I shrugged, hyper-aware of the fact that Alucard had draped his arm over the back of the couch and was lightly running his fingertips up and down my arm. "My family never made a big deal about money. We were blessed with what we had, but we never took it for granted."

"I see." Alucard leaned down to nuzzle my hair. "You seem to take your faith quite seriously."

"Of course I do." I leaned away from the touch. "My faith has gotten me through some of the hardest times in my life."

"Let me ask you a question, little star." I leaned back again, having to rest my head on Alucard's arm to meet his eyes. "What happened to you?"

"What do you mean?"

"You are a virgin, I can tell that from your blood." I stuck my tongue in my cheek to prevent myself from saying something sarcastic. Alucard chuckled as he continued. "Yet there is an inconsistency within you. You know much more of sexual things than a normal virgin would, and yet when it comes to actually experiencing them you are as innocent as a lamb. Why is that?"

"I'm not innocent." I abruptly stood up and walked away from the vampire. He didn't move, watching me as I walked to the small kitchenette to pour myself a glass of wine. I leaned against the doorframe, sighing heavily as I swirled the liquid in the glass. "I had my innocence taken advantage of by someone who claimed to be my best friend. He even told me he loved me."

"Yet you kept your greatest innocence." I glanced up at Alucard. For once, he seemed to be genuine in his concern. It wasn't just his expression that was soft; his eyes were too. "How?"

"My faith." I pushed off the doorframe with my shoulder, walking back to the vampire. He held up a hand. I took it, and let him pull me back down onto the couch into his side. "Barely though."

"You believed him." I glanced up at Alucard. He was already staring at me, his expression compassionate yet unreadable. "When he told you he loved you." I found I couldn't speak. I opted for a nod instead, averting my gaze and sipping the wine.

We sat in silence for a while. It wasn't until I had finished my wine that Alucard did anything. Once the glass was empty, he took it from me and placed it on the table across the way. With his other hand, he pulled me closer so I was nestled into his side. He heaved a sigh as he leaned down, his hair covering the both of us as he nuzzled my own.

"I am sorry, Annaliese." I blinked in surprise when he used my full name. "I did not mean to dredge up bad memories."

"It's fine." I moved slightly when he tried nuzzling lower. "Ah ah. No neck biting for you."

Alucard laughed softly, the deep timbre in his voice rolling in his chest. "That's just teasing. Exposing such a luscious neck and refusing me a bite? And you say I'm cruel."

"I'd say something but I know you'd love that."

"Say what?" I pursed my lips, unsure if I should say it. "Please?" Alucard batted his eyelashes, though his infernal smirk was back and minimized the effect.

Still, I caved. "Suck it up, buttercup."

"Hmm..." Alucard purred. "Gladly."

"Alucard!" I yelped softly as the vampire dove down to nip at my sweater collar. At the same time, he started to tickle my sides. "Stop it!"

"Make me." Despite the obviously daring tone, his chuckles showed he was enjoying it as much as I was.

"Jackass!" I hissed as I cuffed him upside the head. He just laughed and nuzzled closer. I lifted my arm again in preparation to box his ears if he tried to bite.

"I have no intention of biting you, little star." Alucard murmured into my ear. "As I told you, consent makes the blood taste so much sweeter." I slowly lowered my arm as Alucard stretched out on the couch, causing the both of us to end up lounging on it. "I can wait till you give me permission to bite you."

"What makes you think I will?" Deciding to make the best of the situation, I draped myself over the vampire's body. My head ended up on his chest, with our legs being entwined somewhat awkwardly. I crossed my arms over Alucard's chest and rested my chin on them so I could look at his face. He seemed perfectly content with the arrangement since his arms came up to loosely drape themselves over my lower back; one of his hands began tracing lazy circles in my spine.

"A gut feeling."

The feeling of power that rushed through my body when Alucard's eyes widened in worry as my smirk of triumph grew is something that could never be described.

"Lliiiiike, this!?" I shoved my ice-cold hands under his shirt and pressed them against his stomach.

The yelp he gave was worth all of the teasing I had put up with over the last four months.

I let out a fierce cackle as I locked my arms around Alucard's surprisingly thin waist, trapping my hands between his back and the couch. The vampire arched to try and get away from the chill, but because of how our legs were positioned, he was pinned.

"Annaliese you little-!" he hissed. Without Integra to give him permission to remove any of his seals, he was stuck as he was, and it was clearly getting to him.

My cackles grew even as Alucard started to dig his fingernails into my back. "Not so fun when the shoe is on the other foot huh, my dear husband!?" I stuck out my tongue at him, thoroughly enjoying my temporary power trip.

"All is fair in love and war, little star." Alucard smirked before shoving his own cold hand up the back of my shirt. Unluckily for him, I had expected that reaction, so rather than removing my own hands to get his off, I pressed my lower body into his. The sharp inhale of breath that came from the vampire was enough to tell me all I needed to know. My little gambit had paid off.

"Shouldn't have given me that type of permission, darling," I purred, batting my eyelashes. I leaned up, purposefully dragging my body on top of his until we were almost nose-to-nose. "Still think I'm innocent?"

"Get off," Alucard growled lowly. Ordinarily, I would have been worried, but the arousal in his voice and the dilated pupils told me that he was enjoying it more than he was letting on. I leaned down till our lips were almost brushing, making sure I kept as much eye contact as I could. The next two words out of my mouth were barely a whisper.

"Make me."

I walked into the hotel on Alucard's arm, once again wearing my travel outfit. My heels clicked on the tile floor as we made our way to the front desk. The clerk turned to us, his eyes blinking rapidly behind his glasses before regaining his composure. "Good day sir, madam. How can I help you?"

"We are the Brennan reservation." Alucard lied effortlessly. "I believe I have a suite."

"Y-yes, Mr. Brennan, thank you." The clerk turned to the computer. "I have your reservation right here. The penthouse has been prepared for you."

I glanced behind us as Bernadette walked in, giving orders to the men; he was personally handling my bags. The Frenchman looked over at Alucard and I for directions. "Be a dear and take that to the penthouse, would you?" I made sure to add a bit of falsetto to the false accent in my voice.

"Right, you got it." He turned back to the men. "You heard her! That goes up to the penthouse!" Two sets of four men walked into the lobby. Each was carrying an object covered in a black cloth.

"Excuse me, sir? Is that your luggage?" The clerk asked as he leaned over the counter to get a better look. "I'm sorry sir, but the hotel doesn't allow such large personal belongings." The poor boy was fidgeting, obviously uncomfortable. "Th-the hotel can't be held responsible if something-."

"It's fine." Alucard cut the boy off.

The redhead staggered back, clearly frightened. "I'm sure. I just have to call my..." he trailed off.

As he had been speaking, Alucard turned to face him. I let him take his arm away from my hands so he could reach up and take off his glasses. With his other hand, he reached out towards the boy.

"Enough," Alucard said softly. "Everything is fine."

"Everything... everything is fine." My eyes widened when the boy repeated Alucard's words.

_'Holy hypnosis, Batman.'_

"Everything is perfectly fine," Alucard repeated as he took his hand back.

"Yes, sir. Everything is perfectly fine." The boy repeated hollowly.

"Good." Alucard replaced his glasses and retook my arm before walking off. "Now hurry up with our bags."

"Yeah, fine." Bernadette sweatdropped.

I looked up at Alucard. "You know, you didn't have to go all Jedi Mind Tricks on the poor boy. He was just doing his job."

"Jedi Mind Tricks?" Alucard glanced down at me as we entered the elevator.

"How is it that I'm a thirtieth of your age and yet I'm more cultured than you." I deadpanned, flopping onto his side with a dramatic sigh. "You're going to have to get more up to date on cultural changes."

"Why should I? Human culture has no appeal to me."

"You say that now." I murmured. The rest of the elevator ride up was silent.

I couldn't stop the inhale of shock when the door opened to the penthouse. "Holy crap." I looked around, taking a glove off to run my fingers over the fabric of the couch. "Y'all really don't spare any expense, do you?"

"Of course not." Alucard took my hand, pulling me over to a chair with him.

"Wait what are you- eep!?" I squeaked when Alucard pulled me onto his lap. "Okay! You are taking this "husband-wife incognito" thing _way_ too far, buddy." He just chuckled and wrapped an arm around my waist.

"You didn't think so last night when you were grinding on me." he purred into my ear.

I knew my face was beet red, even as I tried to push away. "I was _not_ grinding on you. I was enacting my revenge by shoving my hands up your shirt. _You_ are the one who bucked into _me_."

"Whatever you say, little star," Alucard hummed disbelievingly, rubbing his nose along my neck.

"W-what is this?" I turned around to see Bernadette standing there, slumped over in shock. "My hotel is a trash heap on the edge of town." Realizing he was staring right at me sitting on Alucard's lap, I couldn't stop the rush of blood that returned to my face. Thankfully, he seemed more peeved at the difference in lodging. "Oh, the iniquity! Damn you, bourgeoisie! Damn you!"

"Cheap hotels can be extremely charming." Alucard taunted.

"Is that so?" Bernadette returned with equal amounts of sass.

"Okay, you've had your fun." I pinched the underside of Alucard's arm. The instinctive jump he gave provided me the opportunity to get up. I shook out my bun, waving the two of them off. "You two discuss business. Mama's taking a nap." Deciding to ignore the two of them, I released Seras from her coffin. She shot up with a gasp, heaving. "Feeling better?"

"Much!" she gasped, hugging me tightly. "Thank you!"

"Don't mention it." I laughed as I pulled her off. "I just let you out of the coffin, but you'd be wise to go back to sleep. The investigation starts tonight."

"Right." Seras smiled, but it was soon overtaken by a massive yawn. Just as she laid back down, Alucard closed the door.

"You didn't have to do that." He stated.

"I know." I stood up, placing a hand on the back of the couch to balance myself as I took off my heels. "But it was the nice thing to do."

"Hmph."

"Scoff all you want, Fangface." I stuck my tongue out at him. "Doesn't change the fact that Seras prefers my company to yours."

"Oh? And how would you know that?" He mocked while I grabbed my luggage and headed into the master bedroom.

"Simple." I glanced over my shoulder at him as I walked. "I treat her like she's worth more than another weapon."

" _What_ , the _hell_ , is that?" I smirked at Alucard's reaction. He had previously been reading until I walked in. Now he was blinking in surprise, the book hanging loosely from his grip.

"You like?" I struck a sultry pose, knowing he'd have a reaction to it. "It's a little something I had commissioned. I paid the fitter a handsome fee to prioritize it for me. I'm just glad it was finished in time." I could feel Alucard's gaze raking over me, and I couldn't stop the prideful smirk that pulled up at my lips.

The floor-length, blood-red satin gown was form-fitting, hugging my every curve. The slit on the left side reached to mid-thigh, exposing just enough of my leg to entice but leaving enough to the imagination. It was filled in with a black sheer fabric with appliquéd flowers and leaves decorating the fabric. Similar appliqué decorated the lowcut bust. It was padded to add coverage since the straps were thick enough to provide support but too thin to hide bra straps. One of the straps had been replaced with the same fabric and appliqué that filled in the slit, going over the shoulder to the open back that had been filled in with the same sheer fabric.

The chunky necklace filled in the neckline, drawing attention to my neck and cleavage; the matching earrings I wore were heavier than I was used to, but they completed the look. Under the dress, I wore strappy black heels that added a good four inches to my height. Over the dress, I wore a black wrap made of rabbit fur.

For makeup, I had gone all out as well. Using my lipstick, I had created a perfectly matching look. The lipstick was a dark red, similar to the dress. I doctored up the eyes with a thin golden line of golden eye shadow, outlining the wing of the lipstick and curve of the eyelid. Finally, I had plumped up my eyelashes with mascara. As for my hair, I had simply teased and pulled it till half of it was half up, and the rest fell in soft waves.

"Where do you think you're going, little star?" Alucard's voice had that distinct growl to it again.

"I've heard this city has an interesting nightlife." I checked the contents of my sequined clutch, ensuring everything I needed was in it. _'Gun, cash, extra makeup...'_ "I intend to, cash in, if you will." I walked to the door, throwing a playful wink over my shoulder as I left the room. "Don't stay up too late, darling." With that, I closed the door, not even bothering to check the lock.

The elevator dinged, opening in the lobby. Only those who knew where they were going bothered to spare me a glance. I blended in with the crowd, keeping my head high and my eyes half-lidded.

"Name and room number?" The clerk at the door looked up at me, cheeks immediately flushing when he actually saw me.

I put on my best sultry expression. Reaching into the bust of my dress, I pulled out a fifty-pound bill and held it in front of the clerk's face. "How about we forget the name..." I fanned out the bill, showing a second fifty-pound bill. "And the room number, alright darling?"

"I..." the clerk gulped as I dragged my fingertips down the man's chin, folding the bills to stick them in his pocket. "Welcome, Senhorita." He opened the door for me. I smiled at him, making sure my fingers dragged up under his chin as I entered the room.

Inside was the casino of the hotel, and it was exactly what I expected. Card tables were placed at strategic places all around the room. Guards stood at every corner and at staggered paces along the walls.

"May I take your wrap, Senhorita?" A young man approached me. I turned my back, letting the young man take the fur wrap off my shoulders. "Here you are." He handed me a card with a number on it.

"Don't let anything happen to that, darling." I handed the boy a twenty-pound note. "It's worth more than your salary." It was a bit of an exaggeration, but such was the crowd.

"I understand, Senhorita." He bowed deeply, holding the wrap carefully. I nodded at him, giving him the silent signal to leave. Returning my attention to the room, I walked down the stairs slowly, observing each of the tables.

_'Classic poker...'_ A couple of individuals clearly of a lesser level of society looked at me as I walked by. I made sure to not make eye contact. _'Blackjack...'_ A man threw up his hands. From the lack of chips on his tray, he had just lost the last of them. _'Spanish 21... oh what is this?'_ I made my way over to a table that had a rather large group around it, compared to the others. Six persons sat at the table, while four stood around it.

"Curious, Senhorita?" I glanced at one of the men seated. He smiled lewdly, patting his lap. "Come over and find out."

_'Thirty-seven, Hispanic, and clearly wealthy, from the gold chains around his neck.'_ My gaze traveled over his form. _'Custom-made suit, new shoes... he clearly has a bit of power here.'_ I let a sultry smirk pull up at my lips. "Perhaps..." I slunk behind him, dragging a fingernail over the back of his chair. "If you prove to me you're a winner."

"Ah." The man's eyebrows shot up at my fake accent. "You're not from around here, are you, Senhorita?"

"Perhaps." I tilted my head, my eyes half-closed as I looked down at the man. "Does that make a difference concerning your invitation?"

"Not at all. If anything..." he waved over a serving girl. The young woman came by with a tray of champagne. "It entices me. Please, help yourself."

"The payment?" I lifted an eyebrow at him even as I lifted a champagne glass from the tray.

"Your company." He chuckled at me.

"A price worth paying." I hummed softly, leaning down to look over the table. _'Ah. They're playing Baccarat.'_

The man smirked broadly before returning his attention to the table. "Who is the banker this round?"

"José." Apparently, José was the man directly across the table from us. He shuffled the cards, the woman next to him cutting the deck.

"Everyone place your bets."

"Twelve." The oldest man pushed twelve chips towards the center of the table.

"Thirteen."

"Fifteen."

"Seventeen."

"Eighteen."

"What shall we bet, Senhorita?" The man looked up at me. I smirked down at him.

"Nineteen."

"Nineteen it is." The man pushed the number of chips towards the center of the table. "Banker." José said nothing, instead dealing out two cards, face-up, to everyone at the table.

The rules of baccarat were simple: there was a max point value of nine. Jacks, Queens, Kings, and tens were worth nothing. Aces were worth one, and all the other cards were taken at face value. All of the players receive two cards face up. If someone receives an eight or higher, and no one else does, then they automatically win. But if there is a tie, each player takes a third card and adds up the total number. If the total number ends up being more than nine, that player takes the rightmost digit as their total. So if someone was to receive a one, an eight, and a ten, their total would be eight, because the digit 8 is the rightmost digit of eighteen. Comparatively, if someone received a king, a queen, and a ten, their total would be zero.

_'Six, Four, Seven, Five, Three, and Eight.'_ I mentally sighed in relief. _'Thank God.'_

"It appears you are good luck, Senhorita!" The man laughed, taking the chips he bet and the payout. He placed a kiss on my hand. "Tell me, Senhorita, what is your name?"

"Eliza." I lightly dragged my fingers under his chin. "And your name, my good sir?"

"Alejandro." He waved over another server girl. "A round of cream puffs for my Senhorita Eliza, on the house."

"You spoil me, Senhor Alejandro."

"Only fair, after you won me nineteen thousand."

"I have been bested." The oldest man stood, a good-natured smile on his face. "I suppose I am getting too old for these types of games. Not good for my heart." He stood up, bowed respectfully, and left. I eyed the chair, pretending to pretend that I wasn't interested in the now empty chair. Alejandro noticed.

"Care to play a round, Senhorita?" I looked down at him. "If you win me another round, play a round. You can buy chips here at this table."

"Truly? Well then, how can I refuse?" I placed a hand on the back of the chair, downing the last of the champagne and placed the glass on the tray of a serving girl passing by.

"Excelente!" Alejandro rubbed his hands together, taking the cards from the table. It seemed he was banker next. "Place your bets." He said as he shuffled the deck. Everyone placed the same bets as last time, which was not surprising. "Same bet, Senhorita?"

"Why mess with a good thing, Senhor?" I smiled at him. He smiled back.

"Indeed. Nineteen then." With that, he flipped the cards to everyone. Just like last time, he won again. "Very good, Senhorita! The chair is yours." With a snap of his fingers, two of his men pulled out the chair for me. I sat down delicately, smiling at them.

Alejandro pulled out a drawer, setting it on the table. "How many chips, Senhorita?"

"How about... five and four?" I placed ten five-hundred-pound bills and four one-hundred-pound bills on the table. I resisted the urge to smirk at the awestruck and greedy looks that took over the men's' faces.

Alejandro shook out of his stupor first. "Thirty thousand then." He took the money and started to reach for the brown chips, but I stopped him with a lift of my hand.

"Yellow will do, Senhor. Can't be too greedy, now can I?"

"Of course not, Senhorita." Alejandro clearly wasn't happy, but he pulled out the yellow chips anyways, counting them out in front of me. "Fifteen yellow chips for the Senhorita." He replaced the drawer in the table, sitting down. "Manuel. You are banker."

"Place your bets," Manuel called as he shuffled the deck. "Two."

"Three." Alejandro upped the bet.

"Four."

"Six." José upped the bet.

"Seven."

All eyes turned to me. "Eight." I cast my chips into the center.

"Banker," Alejandro called. The cards were cast around.

_'Seven.'_ I maintained a neutral expression as I watched Alejandro deal out the second cards. A two landed in front of me. _'Nine. Right off the bat.'_

"And the victory goes to the Senhorita!" Alejandro clapped, congratulating me. The sever girl came back with the plate of cream puffs and another glass of champagne.

"Obrigado, Senhor." I took the chips back, as well as my payout. _'Sixteen thousand brings it back up to twenty-eight hundred, roughly half of what I bet out. Thank God I actually know how to play this game, and that it's only a four-deck game.'_ "Who is banker now?"

It was the man to Manuel's right. _'So the banker position is going around in a counter-clockwise manner. That means there is one more man before it gets to me.'_

"Bets. Four."

"Five."

"Six."

"Ten." Alejandro blinked in surprise when I upped the bet.

"Ten." José matched my bet.

"Twelve." Alejandro upped the bet again.

The banker dealt the cards. _'Four and four.'_ I looked around the table. Alejandro and I tied. According to the rules, the bets carried over to the next round. The banker shuffled and dealt the cards again. _'Seven and one.'_ I looked over at Alejandro again. He had a five and a two.

"It seems you win again, Senhorita."

"Beginner's luck, Senhor." I smiled as I took the pay. _'I've recouped what I paid, but barely. I need to be careful.'_

One more round took place before it got to me. I lost that, losing fourteen thousand. Already, I had almost double what I originally bet, but I still needed to be careful. Alejandro was becoming a little suspicious, and the last thing I needed was someone going through my purse or taking me into the back for a strip search.

"Bets," I called as I shuffled the deck. "Fifteen." I purposefully bet higher, knowing that if I won the casino would take a percentage.

"Fifteen."

"Fifteen."

"Fourteen."

"Fifteen."

"Fourteen."

_'Unsurprising José and Alejandro went bank.'_ With two of the five not matching the bet, I didn't have to raise mine. Keeping my hands steady, I dealt out the cards. _'Four...'_ I dealt out the second cards. _'Four.'_ I looked up. José had an eight as well. _'A tie means the bets carry over.'_

"Cards." I reshuffled the cards and dealt them again. _'Five...'_ I once again dealt the second hand. _'Four. That makes nine.'_ I looked up again. This time around, I had the highest hand. "It seems I win again."

"Well done, after that last round, Senhorita." José congratulated. "Your luck turned around."

"Call it a woman's touch." I winked at them. Several of the men surrounding the table chuckled. _'I'm the dealer again this time. After that, I'll call it quits.'_ I glanced at my watch. It was getting late. "Bets. Twenty." Alejandro's eyes widened. I smirked.

"Twenty." José matched the bet.

"Twenty." Alejandro matched it as well. "A little confident, are we Senhorita?"

"Perhaps." I turned to the other men. "Bets?"

"Twenty."

"Twenty."

"Twenty."

_'They all went bank. Alright then.'_ "New bet is 100. Banker matches." With that, I dealt the cards, saying a fervent prayer in my heart as I did so. _'Five...'_ I dealt the second cards. _'Four. Thank you, Jesus!'_ I looked around the table. Alejandro had seven, José had eight. The others had five, seven, and six. "Banker wins."

"My my, Senhorita. You truly are good luck!" Alejandro clapped again. I smiled, collecting the chips and standing.

"Ah, but this Senhorita knows when to leave when Lady Luck has blessed her." I curtsied to the men, picking up my tray of chips when I straightened. "Boa noite, senhores. Perhaps we shall play again tomorrow night?"

"You are leaving, Senhorita?"

"Alas, the clock strikes twelve." I gestured to the clock on the wall. "My carriage awaits." With that, I turned around and walked with purpose to the cashier, or "cage". The man's eyes widened at the number of chips I had but quickly shook it off.

"Preferred bills, Senhorita?"

"Euro, Senhor." I counted the chips in my head as the man counted them out. _'30,000 to start off. 16,000 from the first, 20,000 from the second. Lost 14,000 on the third. Won 30,000 from the fourth, and 120,000 from the last. The casino will probably take a five percent commission on the last two, which means I keep 28,500 and 114,000. In total 194,500 Real, which brings it to about...'_

"34,173 Euro, Senhorita." The cashier counted out the bills in front of me. Seventy five-hundred-pound bills. "A good evening, sim?"

"Sim. Uma noite muito bua." I winked at the young man, stuffing the cash in my clutch. Taking out the numbered card, I handed it to him. He nodded silently, running into the back. Not a few minutes later, he returned with my fur cloak.

"Tenha uma noite maravilhosa, Senhorita." he said as he helped me shrug on my wrap.

"Você também, jovem." I winked at him as I walked away. As soon as the doors closed behind me, I elongated my stride just a tad. As soon as I was out of view of the bodyguards at the end of the hall, I made a beeline for the foyer. Just as I had thought, SWAT was pouring in.

"Miss! This way quickly!"

_'It seems the disguise earlier did the trick.'_ I played it off, looking around. "Me?"

"Yes, please! Hurry!" An officer ran towards me, taking my hand and placing his other arm behind my back. I picked up my dress, trying to keep up with the officer's brisk pace in my heels.

"What is going on?" The fear in my voice almost made me believe it.

"Terrorists have taken over the hotel." The officer told me as he rushed me out and into the arms of another officer. "Have her taken to safety."

"Sir, yes, sir! Right this way, miss." I took the officer's hand, holding my dress up with one hand as we quickly descended the stairs. Realizing I couldn't keep up in my heels, the man whispered a quiet apology before sweeping me up into his arms to carry me bridal style into the crowd.

_'Shit.'_ The officer had taken me directly to the ambulances, which was the opposite way I needed to go. _'Welp, time to keep up the act I guess.'_ I wrapped the fur closer around my shoulders as I was carried into the light of the transports. Immediately, medics surrounded us. They took me from the officer, wrapping me in a soft blanket and placing a cup of steaming coffee in my hands. "May I have tea instead? Coffee makes me nauseous."

"Of course, Senhorita." The young girl quickly replaced the coffee with black tea. "Is there anything else you need?"

"Somewhere quiet to sit, perhaps? These shoes are uncomfortable and the lights are making me dizzy."

"Of course. Right this way." The young woman gently led me to a shadowed place further away from the transports. She helped me sit down, ensuring I was comfortable before moving on to take care of other patients.

I waited until I heard gunshots ring out from the top floor before moving. _'Let the carnage begin.'_ I thought ruefully as I slipped my heels off. _'At least I have enough cash for another hotel room if I need it.'_ I made my way to the rendevous, moving much faster now that I wasn't wearing those infernal heels.

"Commander!" Bernadette hissed at me. He and his men had procured a helicopter. I hopped into the machine, smiling at the man. "Holy shit."

"Focus, soldier." I slapped him upside the head, his wandering eyes and gaping mouth more than enough evidence to tell me where his mind was going. "We have vampires to pick up."

"R-right. Fire this bird up!" Bernadette ordered. I settled into a chair, strapping myself in and putting on a headset. The helicopter lifted off the ground, flying over the crowd below.

We arrived at the top of the hotel in time to see the last vestiges of blue flame die out on the roof. "Mister Alucard! Miss Victoria! Can I offer you a lift somewhere?" Bernadette shouted. Any ordinary human couldn't have heard him, but the vampires, standing on the X made of blood, surely did. Still, they lingered. "Come on! We have to get out of here!"

I leaned against the wall of the inn, looking up into the night sky. Just thirty minutes ago, the air had been filled with the sounds of gunfire, helicopter blades, and dying screams. Now, only the sounds of owls and other night creatures lifted into the sky.

After escaping the police, we had arrived at a little town outside of Rio de Janeiro. Bernadette had thankfully listened to my request and kept my bag so I had clothes to change into. Currently, I was wearing a soft black sweatsuit. I had let my hair down and scrubbed the makeup off my face. Now I was standing outside, letting the cool night air calm me down. Inside the room, Alcuard and Seras were sleeping in their coffins in the living room. Bernadette and I were supposed to be sleeping in the bedroom, but the thoughts of what Alucard had done were keeping me awake. Those thoughts brought to mind what Alucard had said on that rooftop.

_'We ruin the countries we govern and the people in our care. We slaughter our enemies and sacrifice all our allies. We'll keep killing till there's nothing left but to destroy ourselves. It will never be enough. We are incorrigible warmongers, aren't we Major?'_ I sighed. _'That was awfully human of you to say, Alucard.'_

"What was awfully human of me, little star?"

"I wasn't aware you were awake." I didn't look at Alucard as he finished phasing through the wall. 

"I was dozing. I was never asleep."

"Hmph." I sighed, looking up at the sky. The full moon was brighter than I had ever seen it. "That's a lie."

"Indeed it was." Alucard chuckled. "I was sleeping until I heard your thoughts. They made me curious."

"When are you ever not curious?" I quirked my mouth up in a frown as I looked up at him. Alucard chuckled, looking down at me. He wasn't wearing his hat or his glasses.

"Touché, little star." Alucard leaned down to my eye level. "What keeps you up this night?"

"A lot of things." I turned from his gaze to look back over the courtyard. "But this is definitely a factor."

"What the-?" Alucard's voice froze when I pulled a wad of cash out of my tank top.

I waved it in his face, laughing at his expression. "Told you I was going to cash in on this town's nightlife."

Alucard lifted his eyes to mine, shock still showing. "I wasn't aware you knew how to gamble."

"Alucard, it was a fifteen-hour flight to get here. I read a lot, or did you not notice?"

"I noticed. I just didn't think to read what you were reading."

"Maybe you should have." I smiled at him. "I told you: there's a lot you don't know about me." I stuck the cash back into my tank top. "So why are you up?"

"I'm a creature of the night, little star." Alucard smiled, showing off his fangs. "I'm always up."

"You know that's not what I'm asking, jackass."

Alucard laughed lowly, his fangs glinting in the moonlight. "Truth be told, after what just happened, I feel invigorated." He pushed off the wall, turning to me in a dramatic sweeping gesture to bend at the waist, hand held out. "Care to join me for a night on the town?"

"No killing. No maiming. No blood drinking."

"You drive a hard bargain, little star, but in truth, I was hoping to take you to a local opera. I have two tickets."

"Opera? I'm not getting that dress back on."

"Of course not." He smirked. "I wouldn't want you to."

"Too distracting?" I teased as I placed my hand in his. I yelped softly when he pulled me into his embrace.

" _Very_ , embarrassing," he growled softly. "But as I said before, I know which outfits I like you in best."

"And which ones are those?"

"The ones you are most comfortable in." He smiled. "So, shall we go?"

I thought about it for a minute. "Take me out dancing afterward and we'll call it a deal."

Alucard swept me up bridal style, smiling like he had just won the lottery. "Perfection."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Episode(s) Used: Episode 3: "Hellsing III"
> 
> One Euro is worth roughly 5.5 Brazillian Real. So a twenty-pound note is worth 111 BRL, and the two fifty-pound notes were equal to a total of 555 BRL.
> 
> Her total earnings are roughly 38,141 USD.
> 
> Chip Values: thesprucecrafts.com/standard-poker-chip-denominations-412236
> 
> Baccarat Rules: gamblingsites.net/casino/baccarat/
> 
> Senhorita: Miss [Portuguese]
> 
> Senhor: Mister [Portuguese]
> 
> Excelente: Excellent [Portuguese]
> 
> Obrigado: Thank you [Portuguese]
> 
> Boa noite, senhores: Goodnight gentlemen [Portuguese]
> 
> Sim: Yes? [Portuguese]
> 
> Sim. Uma noite muito bua.: Yes. A very good night. [Portuguese]
> 
> Tenha uma noite maravilhosa, Senhorita.: Have a wonderful night, Miss. [Portuguese]
> 
> Você também, jovem.: You too, young man. [Portuguese]


	8. Chapter 7

I groaned as I rolled over, hissing at the light in my face. Blinking my eyes open, I realized it was mid-morning. From the heat, it was closer to the afternoon than morning.

With grunts and groans, I sat up, swinging my legs over the bed. _'Sounds like Alucard's up. When did I pass out?'_ I stumbled to the door, cracking it open.

"Really? The Queen?" I yawned, leaning against the wall as I listened to Alucard's phone conversation. "I'm on my way. Integra, did you enjoy the thrill of declaring war?" Alucard's smirk grew as he tilted his head back, a blissful expression taking over his face. "Did you feel your blood rush? The warmth of hell's fires as you ordered the slaughter?"

_"DON'T SPEAK TO ME, YOU MONSTER!!"_ Even without superhuman hearing, I could hear Integra's voice through the phone as clearly as if I was talking to her myself. _"NOW RETURN IMMEDIATELY, DAMMIT!!"_ The outburst was followed by a loud clattering.

Alucard threw his head back, cackling. I walked over to him, smacking him across the forehead. "Do you mind not being such a douche first thing in the morning? Some of us are trying to sleep."

"My apologies for waking you, little star." Alucard's smirk said he was anything but apologetic. "I couldn't resist."

"You can't resist a lot of things it seems." I leaned against the windowsill, watching Seras and Bernadette return. Their arms were filled with shopping bags.

"Such as?"

"Basic self-restraint for one thing." I turned to fix my stare firmly on Alucard. "You didn't have to slaughter those men. You could have easily just shot them and been done with it. Instead, you tortured them. And for what? For following orders?"

"What would you have done, if you were in my place, little star?"

"If I was given an order to shoot to kill, I'd take it." My eyes flashed with the anger I felt towards the vampire. "But I wouldn't torture people just because it was within my power to do so. Not unless they deserved it."

"Oh?" Alucard smirked. Crossing his legs, he leaned his head on his fist, staring at me with interest. "And what would warrant "deserving of torture" in your mind? Is attempting to kill you not enough reason?"

"Attempting to kill me is a forgivable offense, especially if you are following misgiven orders. It's when one attempts to harm those I love that I will temporarily suspend my humanity. Although, I guess you wouldn't understand that either. The concept of love, that is." It was a low blow, I knew it was, but it was a necessary one.

"I know love is a weakness," Alucard growled.

"It could also be your greatest strength if you allow it to be." I sighed softly. "The world doesn't have to run on revenge, anger, and bloodshed, Alucard. It can be what you want it to be if you're willing to put in the effort."

Just then, Bernadette and Seras walked in. "Ah! Commander! Glad to see you awake!" Bernadette grinned as he set the groceries down. "We tried waking you earlier but you didn't budge."

I laughed, taking the muffin from Seras. "My mother always said I slept like the dead. My friends called me a different name."

"Oh? What was it?" Seras sat cross-legged on the floor.

"Draculina." I winked at her.

Bernadette stopped chewing his muffin. "Seriously? Why?"

"Up all night, slept all day, paler than snow, have significantly longer canines than anyone else in my family, and I drink my own blood when I get cut." I ticked off reasons on my fingers, shrugging when I was done. "All I needed was a higher tolerance for the blood of others and I'd be a vampire."

"I see." Seras turned to Alucard. "Any news, Master?"

"The Queen has called a Round Table Conference. We need to leave in the jet immediately."

"No! No way!" Bernadette slurped on his drink. "Won't work. C'est impossible."

"But getting home will take an extra week by boat!" Seras fretted.

"Private jet is out of the question." Bernadette popped the drink out of his mouth. "And we can't leave his big box here can we?" "His big box", of course referring to Alucard's coffin, which the vampire promptly sat on.

"Within this box is my own true kingdom. It's where I was born, and where I'll die."

_'Well, that's not at all morbid.'_ I mentally deadpanned.

Someone suddenly breaking the front door made us all jump.

"Are you kidding me!?" I leveled my gun at the intruder's head before realizing who it was. "Oh fuck me sideways with a pitchfork," I growled.

Anderson and Alucard walked towards each other, facing off with matching menacing smiles. They each reared back with a shout before slugging the other in the face. They traded blows two more times before Alucard drew his guns.

"I've had enough, Anderson!"

The priest spat out blood before drawing his own blades. Seras tried attacking him, but a glare from the priest made her whimper away. He grinned, whirling around to throw a blade at her. She ducked, barely missing the blade. The blade had pinned a paper to the wall. On it was travel permissions.

Anderson picked up his broken glasses while Alucard put away his guns. I slowly lowered my own.

"The Vatican has a small private jet thirteen kilometers north of here. There's your release paper. Our people are expecting you. So take it, and get the hell out of here before I decide to decapitate you again." With that, Anderson left.

"Well..." I spoke first, straightening my stance. "I say we take the good Father up on his offer before he decides to redact it."

Alucard turned a taunting smirk my way. "Considering taking him up on this other off-ACK!"

I let a shot off, shooting the bastard in the chest. He fell down, his body taking a moment to regenerate. When he did, he was staring at me with the most flummoxed look I'd ever seen on his face. I almost felt bad for laughing. Almost.

"What was that?"

"Just 'cause you were out of sacred bullets doesn't mean I am." I grinned at the vampire, tilting my head in a way that mocked how he usually did it. "Keep that in mind, _darling_." I purposefully dragged out the last word as I walked back to the room. I shut the door to the sound of Bernadette's laughter. "Oh _fuck_ that felt good."

"Do try to behave yourself, little star," Alucard taunted as we walked down the hall. "I know you Americans have a dodgy past with English royalty."

"Only when they treat us like shit," I shot back. We were walking down the halls of the Tower of London. On the plane ride over, I had changed into my Hellsing uniform. It felt nice, being back in the bulletproof clothing. As much as I liked dressing up, skin-tight clothes don't exactly provide a lot of hiding places for weaponry.

In the last few hours of the flight, I had decided to get creative (and show off my inner badass) by braiding my hair back in a style reminiscent of what Viking warriors wore. I had braided a single small braid on either side of my head, and the top half of my hair I braided into a large, center French braid, which I had teased to make look thicker. While on my night out with Alucard, I had bought some silver hair beads, so I had used those to secure the braids. The lower half of my hair I left down, giving the illusion I had more hair than I actually did. Already it was getting me looks. I couldn't wait to see what Maxwell's reaction was going to be.

_'It seems I'll find out soon enough.'_ I thought wryly when Alucard flung the doors open. We all walked into the room, observing everyone at the table. On one side sat the members of the English Round Table. On the other side sat Maxwell and the emissaries from the Vatican. At the head of the table sat Integra, and behind her, the Queen.

"We have returned to you, my master." Integra lifted her head from her hands at Alucard's declaration.

"Well executed, my servant."

_'Ugh.'_ I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.

"The Queen awaits you. Remove your glasses." Alucard did so as he walked by the table, headed directly for the throne. I stayed in the back by Seras and Bernadette.

Two guards attempted to rush Alucard, but they were quickly thrown out of the way. Alucard never even broke his stride. Not anyone dared to say a word. The vampire stopped directly in front of the queen.

"It's been a very long time, vampire. Come closer. Let me look at you." My eyes widened in surprise when Alucard didn't even hesitate to kneel down in front of the woman.

_'Seeing it this way... it's so different...'_

The Queen reached out to gently place her hands on Alucard's face. The room was so quiet, everyone could hear his soft sigh. "All these years, and you haven't aged a day, Alucard. Unfortunately, time's march has not been as kind to me. Can you believe how quickly I became an old woman?"

"I still see the same spirited young woman I met fifty years ago, Your Majesty." Alucard's voice was gentler than I had ever heard it. "In fact, to my eyes, time has made you even more beautiful, Your Highness."

The Queen let out a soft chuckle. "Proceed with your report, vampire."

Alucard stood and turned to face the rest of the room. "Fifty-five years ago, a deranged Nazi Major, attempted to breed a vampire army. Walter and I laid waste to their operation." Alucard stepped down the stairs as he spoke. "However, it seems they simply refuse to die. They've returned, replenished their numbers, and are ready to complete their original mission. That's what Millenium truly is: The Last Batallion."

"I guess Mr. Tubalcain's filsy blood must've given us avay!" A new voice with a distinct German accent rang out.

_'Shit!'_ I whirled around, drawing my Beretta and aiming it at the boy. He didn't notice, placing his hands on his hips and declaring

"Ze Major sure blew zhat one!" Everyone else had the same idea as me, drawing their weapons and training it on the child. He held up his hands, the black cat ears flopping. "Woah there! I'm just ze messenger! I'm not here to fight anyone."

"Explain this," Integra demanded.

"My deepest apologies ma'am. I don't know how he got past security." Walter apologized.

I refrained from saying or thinking anything. Barely.

The boy put a device on the table. "Zhey are useless against me. I'm everyvhere, and novhere." He turned to face Seras and I. I remembered he had originally stared at Seras, but now he was staring at both of us.

_'Little pervert.'_ I glared at him, a low growl rumbling in my throat.

"Stop it." Seras ground out.

The boy chuckled and dipped his head. "Guten tag."

Seras froze, her cheeks flushing before she ducked her head. "Guten tag." She mumbled. 

I narrowed my eyes at the boy, but took a deep breath anyways. "Guten tag, Kleiner."

He smiled happily, though his eyes held a glint more sinister. He turned his attention back to the group. "To zhe gazhered representatives of zhe Vatican and Great Britain, my commanding officer, zhe glorious Major, has a message for all of you. Please attend carefully." He pulled out a remote and pressed a button.

It didn't work.

I couldn't help but chuckle softly at the frustrated look on the child's face as he tried to make the picture work. The voice that came through the device, however, shut down any and all amusement in my heart. It wasn't the most prominent one, however. No... it was the one screaming for help in the background.

_"Oh! Hold on!"_ The screen fizzled to life. _"Right there. That's good."_

"Oh, God..." I covered my mouth with my hand, trying to stifle the urge to throw up. I couldn't tear my eyes away from the disgusting scene that was on the screen. Destroyed human bodies, littered with the stripped bones and clothing, coated the floor of blood. The screams from the prisoner didn't help things at all either. 

"Major, looks you've really got vour hands full."

_"Oh things are going well. It's as if a veight has finally been lifted from my shoulders. I'm feeling qvite relaxed."_

_'Relaxed!?!'_

"Hello Major." Alucard's eyes were glowing.

_"Alucard! I'm so happy to see vou again. It's been really far too long."_

_'Breathe... just breathe...'_ I swallowed hard, trying to keep the bile down.

"What is it that you want?" Integra growled.

_"Hm? Oh! Finally face to face with zhe Fraulein herself, Sir Integra Hellsing. It's a pleasure to meet vou."_ The Major bowed in a way that would have been respectful. I found it revolting.

"What's the purpose of this? What are you trying to accomplish? Answer me!"

The light reflecting off the Major's glasses made it appear like he was possessed. _'I suppose that's fitting though.'_

_"Zhe purpose?"_ He repeated it like it was a foreign concept to him. _"Vhat a silly question, my beautiful Fraulein!"_ I felt my skin crawl in disgust, even though the "compliment" wasn't directed at me. _"Purpose? Haha! How quaint!"_

A deranged smile took over the maniac's face. _"To put it into the simplest possible terms, Fraulein, our purpose is a total absence of purpose."_ The camera panned out, showing the bleeding bodies lying at the man's feet. It changed again, to show a man, tied up and gagged, surrounded by Ghouls.

"Oh God, please no." I couldn't stop the whispers, even though I knew what was coming.

_"Vou should be avare, Fraulein, zhat zhere are some people in zhis vorld, certain irredeemable louts, for whom zhe means, does not require, an end. I speak of course of myself."_ With a snap of his fingers, the Ghouls that were surrounding the man ripped into him.

I tore my gaze from the device, not caring if Alucard or Integra or Walter or even Schrödinger saw. The sounds alone made me want to throw up everything. In my heart, I knew I wasn't going to be sleeping tonight.

"Oh vow!" Schrödinger smiled. "I didn't sink vour punishment would be zhat harsh, sir."

I had never wanted to empty a magazine into anyone more than I did at that moment. The only problem was I couldn't decide if I wanted to pump Schrödinger full of lead or the Major.

"You're insane. All of you."

_'For once, I agree with you Maxwell.'_ I felt a hand on my shoulder. Walter had come over at some point. He was holding a glass of what looked like ginger ale. I shook my head, knowing I wouldn't be able to keep even that down.

_"Did I just hear someone from Iscariot questioning my sanity? Let me ask you, if your God, would allow my madness to flourish across the globe, zhen, vouldn't it seem to vou zhat any God like that would be just as mad as I?"_

"Hold your tongue, heathen!" I snarled. The venom in my voice surprised even me. Alucard too, from the look on his face. "Who are you to compare yourself to the Lord on High?!"

_"An American calling me a heathen? How pretentious of vou. It's no vonder vou allied vourself with Britain instead of us! Ve are zhe finest of zhe Third Reich. Do you have any idea how many people we've killed!? For him to say I'm insane is foolishness. He didn't have any objections fifty years ago._

_"But nevermind zhat. Try to stop us zhen, you self-proclaimed normal people! But unfortunately, Iscariot is not my true enemy. My true enemy is Britain, zhe Hellsings, well really it's zhat man laughing in zhe corner back zhere!"_

With the attention brought to him, Alucard finally let loose his cackling. "A declaration of war! Excellent! I can't wait to destroy you again!"

_"No matter vhat vou do, we vill never give up. We vill reverse zhis ridiculous situation as many times as ve have to."_

"Alucard, Seras-."

I didn't even wait for Integra to finish before I had drawn my weapon and emptied the magazine into Schrödinger's body. He didn't have a head or a heart by the time he fell to the ground. "And I will execute great vengeance upon them with furious rebukes," I muttered under my breath. "And they shall know that I _am_ the LORD, when I shall lay my vengeance upon them."

_"Such an American sing to do. Such overkill, zhough I'm not surprised. Fine. Shoot zhe messenger if zhat's vhat vou come to. Auf Wiedersehen mein Fraulein. I look forward to meeting vou, across the battlefield."_ Two shots rang out, destroying the electronic screen. One had come from Alucard, the other from Seras.

When we looked again, Schrödinger was gone.

"Dammit." I hissed, lowering my weapon.

"Alucard. Sir Hellsing." The Queen's voice rang out over the room. Integra stood up, facing her monarch. "Destroy them. You have your orders."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Integra bowed. It seemed that was the end of the meeting, because everyone stood up and started to leave.

"Miss Spencer?" I looked over at Maxwell. He had come over to my side of the table and had rested a gentle hand on my shoulder. He appeared to be genuinely concerned. "Are you alright? You look rather pale."

"I will be fine, Bishop," I bit out. "Once that little weasel is nothing more than a stain under my boot."

Maxwell nodded. He leaned down, kissing both of my cheeks. "We will have our revenge, Miss Spencer. For your actions today, you will be spared," he whispered into my right ear, hiding his lips and his words from the others in the room. With that, he left.

"Miss Spencer?" The Queen spoke up. I looked up at her. "Would you mind staying a moment? I'd like to speak to you in private."

"O-of course, Your Majesty." I stayed where I was as the others filed out of the room. Once the door had closed, I walked over to the monarch. "What is it you wished to speak to me about?"

"Firstly, your name. Your last name is Spencer?"

"Yes. Just like the late wife of your son Charles, Princess Diana." I smiled softly.

"Come closer, my child." I kneeled in front of the Queen just as Alucard had. Just as she had with him, she cupped my face. Her thumbs traced my cheekbones as her fingers turned my head this way and that. "You have the Spencer face," the Queen murmured as she removed her hands from my cheeks. "Related, perhaps?"

"Same tree, different branch, Your Majesty." I smiled softly. "My grandfather is of the line of the Dukes of Malborough, unlike Her Highness Princess Diana, who was of the line of Earls Spencers."

"I see." The Queen smiled softly. "I see much of her in you."

I laughed softly, shaking my head. "As much as I greatly appreciate the compliment, Your Majesty, I could never compare myself to Princess Diana. She had a much gentler and nobler heart than I could ever hope to achieve."

"You say that, and yet I saw your reaction to what we just witnessed." I lowered my gaze. "Your rage and anger were not brought out of a disdain for human life. Rather, from a passion to protect and save it." 

"Yes... this is true." I sighed heavily. "My father raised me to be a warrior in the service of protecting the flock."

"How so?" The Queen held her hand out. I stood and took her hand, letting her use me to stand.

"When we think of the Christian faith, we always hear of how we as the believers are the sheep, and our Lord is the Shepherd. He calls Himself the Good Shepherd, and indeed he is. But there is another member of a flock that many forget." I kept pace with the Queen as we slowly walked to the door. "The sheepdog."

"Sheepdogs?"

"While the sheep run from the wolves, the sheepdog runs towards it. Our barks tell the sheep to run away and alert the shepherd to danger. We run towards the wolves, and we fight them to the bitter end. We may lose our lives in the process, but as long as the sheep are safe, that is all we care about." I chuckled lightly. "My father always said, "While the sheep may enter the throat of the wolf, the sheepdog rips it out.""

"Indeed." The Queen chuckled softly. "I like that." I opened the door for her. Outside, the members of Hellsing were waiting. They stood at attention when the Queen appeared. "Miss Spencer."

"Yes?"

"Are you worried about your home?" I glanced down at the monarch as we walked. Hellsing fell into step behind us.

"What do you mean?"

"The Major mentioned the United States allying itself with us. Despite what he said, I can imagine the United States is on his list eventually."

"Ah." I nodded. "I would be lying if I said I wasn't worried. With someone like him, I can't imagine he doesn't have a contingency in place. He's had fifty years to plan this, after all."

"What would you ask of me?"

I turned to face the Queen directly. "I don't mean to be rude, but, excuse me?"

The Queen laughed softly. "What would you have me do to aid you in warning your leaders?"

I searched her eyes. _'She's... being genuine about this.'_ I weighed my options before speaking. "I need to get into the White House to speak with the President as soon as possible."

"Then consider yourself my guest until we can get you a meeting." The Queen took my hand in both of hers, patting the back of my hand gently. "This war will consume all of us if we do not act now." She smirked softly. "Go warn your shepherds, sheepdog."

I smiled at her, lifting my free hand to cover hers. "Thank you, Your Majesty." I squeezed her hands gently.

"Sir Hellsing." The Queen and I turned to Integra. "Will you stay or will you return to your home? The choice is yours."

Integra glanced at me. I nodded in turn. "We will stay, if this is permissible with you, Your Majesty. Miss Spencer has become part of our family and we'd like to see her off."

"Of course. I shall have rooms prepared for you." As we walked, I realized I had almost forgotten about something very important. Or, rather, two very important things.

"I... do have another request, Your Majesty."

"Hello, babies!! Yes, Mama missed you! Oh yes, I did!!" I kneeled down, letting my ecstatic pups jump all over me. Walter had just returned from Hellsing Manor, and he had just about lost his arms trying to keep control of Titus and Texas once they saw me. I didn't care if I appeared a fool in front of the others. Right now, I was just happy to see my dogs.

"They were remarkably well behaved." I looked up at Walter, pushing Titus off of me as I did so. "Though they were adamant about sleeping in your room. Texas didn't eat anything, true to your prediction."

"He has really bad separation anxiety." I picked up the Lab, carrying him into the palace. "He'll eat like a pig now that I'm back."

"Indeed. I shall let the kitchen know to prepare him extra food." Walter teased.

"He doesn't need the calories, but I certainly do." I laughed, setting the seventy-pound animal down. "Rio de Janerio was a workout."

"How so?" Integra joined me. Alucard and Seras were nowhere to be seen; likely sleeping.

"You ever try keeping up with SWAT officers while wearing four-inch heels?" I quirked an eyebrow at Integra. "No, didn't think so."

"Speaking of..." I glanced at Integra as we walked down the hallways. The Queen had wanted to meet my dogs as soon as they arrived, so we were headed to a parlor where she told us to meet her. "Why did you agree to go to Rio?"

"What do you mean?" I frowned slightly. "I thought it was your idea for Alucard and I to masquerade as a married couple so we could sneak Seras in."

"No." Integra smirked slightly at me; her expression said she knew more than she was letting on. "I told Alucard that he was leaving for Rio de Jenario, but I never said anything about you going."

I froze when I realized what she was saying. "So... that whole shtick..."

"That was Alucard's idea." Integra chuckled. "It seems he's grown rather fond of you."

"Can't imagine why." I continued walking, my head swimming. "It's not like I'm going to be staying." _'I hope...'_

I leaned against the railing of the balcony, looking out over the gardens. The Queen was to call the President first thing in the morning. In the meantime, I had had a fantastic dinner, taken a luxurious bath, and been able to play with my dogs, which was an amazing stress relief.

Still, as the day wound down, the events came crashing back.

I shuddered as a shiver that had nothing to do with the chilled night air wracked my body. I hugged my arms closer to myself, trying to stave off the ice in my heart.

"You are troubled." The voice behind me no longer surprised me.

"No shit, Sherlock." I didn't look behind me. "I just watched and listened to someone be eaten alive today, and it turns out that not only do Nazis still live, but these particular Nazis have even less regard for human life than Hitler himself. What's worse is they may be targeting my homeland."

"You would leave Hellsing behind so easily?" Alucard's hands came into my peripheral. Even when they were placed on the balcony, his body still wasn't touching mine.

"I'm an American first, Alucard. My duty is to my home and countrymen first. Besides, unlike you, my ties to Hellsing are not a binding oath. They're an employment agreement."

"I see." Alucard nuzzled his nose into my hair. "And your ties to me?"

I took my time answering. _'In the months since joining Hellsing, Alucard and I have grown close. But how much of that is genuine, and how much of this is just you wanting my blood?'_

"You wound me, little star." Alucard murmured. "Do you honestly think that my interest in you is simply because you are a virgin?"

"Yes." I didn't hesitate before answering. "There may be some other interest now, possibly, but your initial interest was simply because of my blood."

"Integra is a virgin, need I remind you."

"You don't drink from her, need _I_ remind _you_." I retorted.

Alucard chuckled. He straightened but kept close. His body was blocking most of the wind. "Will you be able to sleep tonight?"

"You know I won't. Not with those screams in my head." I shuddered at the thought.

"Let me ask you something, little star." I looked up at Alucard only to see him already looking down at me. "Why do you permit my presence, when I have done so much more than the Major, and yet you do not hate me with near the passion you hate him with?"

"I'm not saying you're innocent, and I never believed you pure." With a sigh, I returned my gaze to the garden as I leaned back into the vampire's chest. "I know you are capable of immense amounts of carnage and bloodshed; Rio de Janerio is a perfect example of that. I have no doubt that if you wanted to, and knew Integra would have no issue with it, you would kill just for killing's sake."

"I hear a however in your voice."

"I've seen how you are with Seras and Integra. And then this morning, with the Queen. Your voice was gentler than I had heard it, except when you're speaking to me." I looked back up at the vampire. "You may say you don't have any humanity left, yet you can be affectionate with those you care about."

"I thought you said I couldn't understand the concept of love." Alucard smirked when I winced. "You regretted saying it even then, yet you said it."

"I know." I sighed heavily, dropping my gaze. "I was just trying to get under your skin. I was angry with how callously you treated human life, and I wasn't thinking straight."

"It worked."

"I know," I snickered ruefully. "If there was one thing I was always good at, it was digging at someone's soft spots. I've always been good at identifying and exploiting weaknesses. It's why it's so difficult for people to lie to me. It's also why I cannot abide senseless torture and carnage. I see it as cowardice and an inability to fight with honor."

"Ouch." Alucard chuckled. "That was harsh."

"I take honor and integrity very seriously, Alucard." I smiled up at the vampire. "That's why I don't hate you in the same way I hate the Major." Alucard looked down at me. "You have a sense of honor and integrity. Everything you do is in the service of your master. You abide by her sense of honor, though you take advantage of it sometimes by pushing her buttons. Though I suppose that's just the sadist in us: we enjoy digging at those we care about."

"It makes it more fun."

"Exactly." Alucard and I exchanged a look before laughing. "Hey, can I ask you something?"

"You can ask." Alucard grunted when I banged my head against his sternum before laughing. "What is it, little star?"

"Well two things, actually. First, why did you want me to masquerade as your wife in Rio?"

"I thought it would be fun."

"Uh-huh." I quirked my mouth in a frown. "Seriously though. Integra told me that it wasn't her order to take me with you, so you did that on your own. Why?"

Alucard sighed, his body curling in on itself so he could rest his chin on my head. I leaned back into him so we were both supporting each other's weights. "In truth? I thought it would be fun to see you in a different element. I was not expecting that dress, however."

I laughed softly. "That was an excuse for me to let loose, I'll admit. I knew the hotel we were going to had a casino for its higher clientele, so I read up on gambling techniques on the flight over. I didn't expect to do that well but it turns out they were playing a game I knew fairly well."

"Indeed. You had a good haul for a first-timer, little star." Alucard nuzzled my head. "What was your second question?"

"Why do you call me that?"

"Little star?"

"Yes."

"Why indeed..." Alucard looked up. I watched him as the wind blew through his hair. "At first, it was meant as an insult. You said to kiss your star-spangled ass, so I thought why not use that against you. But it didn't work." He tilted his head down, his hair falling over the both of us. "You ended up liking the nickname."

I felt my heart throb at the sight. Because of the full moon, it cast a silver light over Alucard's face. With his pale skin, it appeared to shine in the moonlight. His crimson eyes glowed as they looked down at me. His hair appeared as silver in the moonlight, the wind blowing it around gently.

"Yes, I did. I saw it as an acknowledgment of my heritage, though to be honest I always thought the "little" part of it was just referring to how much smaller I am than you."

"You're not wrong," Alucard chuckled. He tilted his head, clearly reading my thoughts. "Yes, I did carry you back after that first night. You passed out on me."

"Oh." I ducked my head. "Sorry."

"I did not mind."

"So why do you keep coming back?" I looked up at him. "How do you always know when I'm having a bad night?"

"I can smell the difference in your blood." I quirked an eyebrow. "When you are calm, your blood has a copper scent to it, muted with your natural scent."

_'Well, that's not at all creepy.'_

"It's been a while since you've called me that," Alucard teased. He dipped his head to nuzzle my hair again, sighing softly. "When you're angry, your blood races, heating up within your veins. When you're scared, your blood slows down, making you shiver."

"And on nights like this?"

"It's sluggish, stagnant compared to what it is normally. The longer you're up, the more it becomes so."

"I see." I closed my eyes, letting myself relax. "Thank you, Alucard."

"For what?"

"For caring enough to notice that something was wrong and doing something about it." I felt Alucard shift. His arms came closer till they wrapped around me, keeping me close to him. "I'm not used to kindness from humans, so receiving it from one who used to be yet is no longer is a bit offputting."

"Is that why you pushed me away in the beginning?" Alucard let his fingers trace my biceps. "Why you refused to let me get closer to you?"

"That..." I opened my eyes, but wasn't looking at anything. "And I was concerned with something else."

"What?"

"Going home." I swallowed. "I don't belong here, Alucard. This is not my home. This is not where my family lives. I..."

"You were worried about becoming attached." Alucard's voice was low and rough, meant for my ears alone.

I nodded. "I arrived in this country under mysterious circumstances, circumstances that have yet to be explained. Maybe they never will be. I've been thrust into something that should never have involved me, and now I'm going to be leading the charge. I'm a child, Alucard." I stiffened as the words came out. "I'm only twenty years old, and yet I'm fighting in an almost sixty-year-old war."

"You're making me feel ancient," Alucard chuckled.

"You are, compared to me," I teased.

"Thanks for that," he deadpanned. I laughed, covering my mouth to stifle the sound so I didn't wake anyone else up. After a few moments, Alucard started chuckling as well. "You need to sleep, little star."

"Yeah, I know..." I sighed. "Wait what are you- eep!" I yelped when Alucard swept me up. "Alucard!" He said nothing, instead walking me into the room. Texas and Titus were passed out on the foot of the bed. Alucard placed me on the far side of the bed, laying down with me. "Alucard?"

"I will remain until you fall asleep, little star. It would do you no good to pretend."

"Aye aye, mon Capitaine." I mocked, sticking my tongue out at him. I pulled the blankets up and settled into the pillows. "Thank you, Alucard, for staying with me."

"You're welcome, little star."

As I fell asleep, I could have sworn he said something else. _'No... it was just my imagination.'_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Episode(s) Used: Episode 4: "Hellsing IV"
> 
> For those of you who are going to ask, yes, this reader is based on me, the author. I do indeed have direct heritage tracing back to the Spencer line, which is the family Princess Diana was born into, though not enough for it to be of any consequence. You'll notice I didn't mention a specific Duke; that's cause I'm leaving it up to your imagination. Now shush with the comments of "You did that just to make the reader a Mary-Sue!" Noooo, I did that because this is a READER fic that is based on the AUTHOR who is writing it.
> 
> Besides, I don't know what y'all would be complaining about. You're part royalty for crying out loud in this story. Act like it.
> 
> And yes, domestic Alucard is domestic because insomniac author wrote this at 4 AM and needed fluff. Sue me.

**Author's Note:**

> For those of y'all who are going to ask, no. That's not my real name.


End file.
